How to create a winning BI team

To create high-performance business intelligence (BI) teams, you need to attract and hang onto the right people. Charl Barnard, Training Academy consultant at Knowledge Integration Dynamics (KID), says there are several ways to do this.

In the world of BI, the team is of paramount importance. If you seek out only those people who obtain their thrills from reaching big targets and achieving lofty goals, you will limit your options.

In addition, you may be sure that the time these people spend with your company will be short-lived, as they quickly move to the next job that appears more attractive than the one you offer.

A solid BI team comprises three types of people. Understand who you are looking for and half your job will be done:

1. The groundbreakers. These are senior consultants, business analysts, project managers, data modellers and architects: basically all methodology specialists. The groundbreakers should be contracted on an outsource basis and paid on a time and material basis for their skills and experience.
2. The planters. These are people who are product specialists, and they can be a mix of both internal and external resources.
3. The harvesters. These are internal human resources who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business.

It's vital to place a strong emphasis on training for the people who are employed directly by your business, and to demand proof of training and skills development from the external people you bring on board. A well-balanced team with a focus on training and experience will result in a well-delivered project.

On the other hand, don't just hire people to fill technical positions. While you have to demand a certain level of technical competence, to build a winning team, you need to bring on board people who are eager to learn, highly adaptable, and passionate about what they do.

That's why it's beneficial to employ people who have inner drive and can reinvent themselves on a regular basis to meet the future challenges your team will inevitably face as technology evolves.

To attract the right people, it's also important to set goals. Outline a vision that will attract determined people who seek new challenges and opportunities and discourage those who simply want a “job”.

Create mission, vision, and values statements for your team and make sure they align with the strategic objectives of your organisation. Put people in leadership positions, delegate decision-making, and hold them accountable for results.

Performance measurement needs to be incorporated into the hiring process, and not simply implemented once the candidate has been employed. Write proactive job descriptions that contain a mission statement, a series of measurable outcomes, and the requisite skills and experience needed to achieve the outcomes.

Make sure the outcomes are concrete and tangible, such as “deliver 10 projects a year on time and in budget”. This way, prospective team members know exactly what they are getting into. This type of job description helps them evaluate honestly whether they have what it takes to do the job. It can also be prudent to hire someone on a contract basis to see what kind of work they do and how they get along with others on your team.

Money is not everything to BI professionals. They also want new challenges and opportunities to expand their knowledge and develop their skills. Force them to specialise in one area for too long and it's likely they'll get bored.

It's best to provide BI people with ample opportunity to attend training so they can learn new skills. Give them exposure to all the technologies and skills needed to meet a client's business needs, and enable them to engage with the people who use the solutions they develop.

BI professionals are motivated when they understand how their activities contribute to the organisation's overall success. It's also advisable to give them the opportunity to exercise their leadership skills. Let the best performers lead small teams so they can define the strategy, execute the plans, and report their progress to the team as a whole.

Follow these simple yet proven techniques and not only will you find the right people, but you'll also ensure they stay on your team.