to have data. Whenever we introduce a new process or change an existing one, we should ask ourselves how we can measure objectively whether the change had an impact. Oftentimes, we will find ourselves in situations where we don't have the perfect tools at hand to measure what we would like to. Surveys and other techniques can help us to bridge technology gaps and at least get us to a point where we have some data.
Alexander: Companies usually have plenty of legacy dashboards, the messages of which cannot be seen at first glance. What would a workshop to improve visual data communication look like?
Patrick: Dashboards lose their value if people lose trust in the data that is presented on them. Having a strong data framework in place that defines key KPIs and the very measures that go into them helps deliver a consistent message. At scale, this often means that companies have to come up with their own internal data dictionaries.
Alexander: What basic guidelines and patterns should always be considered for an expressive visual dashboard?
Patrick: The key goal of dashboards is to deliver insights at a glance. In order for that to be true, the data on dashboards should be visible at all times — which means that they need to be responsive to or optimized for the presentation layers they are used on without requiring users to scroll or click them. To turn a data point into an insight, [a dashboard] also needs to provide guidance to its relative context. It is unclear whether 5 of something is good or bad. Five of something on a colored scale from 1 to 25 turns that data point into an insight.
Alexander: Who should you trust with helping you monitor the changes you are making and testing your dashboard prototype to see if it meets expectations?
Patrick: Three stakeholders come to mind: the owner or creator of the data, the consumer of the data, and — depending on the sensitivity of data — a legal or data-security role that confirms that the data presented respects privacy regulations and conforms with legal requirements.
Alexander: Why should companies set up an Analytics Center of Excellence as part of their digital strategy? What are some strategies for setting this up?
Patrick: To do data analysis right, companies need resources that are skilled to do the job and have the priority and time on their hands to do so. Most of the time, neither of the two is true for people, and teams try to do data analysis on top of what feels like their actual job. Successfully implementing an analytics strategy requires deep understanding of the processes and metrics that drive business outcomes. A good approach to get to the scope of work for an Analytics Center of Excellence is to start with interviewing future consumers of data and business stakeholders to be able to build a data framework for the company.
Alexander: What are your personal top three dos and don’ts for an engaging visualization?
Patrick: Keep the visualization simple and easy to grasp, provide guidance or links to a drill-down, and provide as much context for the data as possible — such as a target KPI or a cohort comparison.
Alexander: Thank you, Patrick. What quick-win advice would you give that is easy for many companies to apply within their digital strategies?
Patrick: Focus on simplicity and transparency.
Alexander: What are your favorite apps, tools, or software that you can't live without?
Patrick: Snowflake, Tableau, DBeaver, MongoDB, Slack, Trello.
Alexander: Do you have a smart productivity hack or work-related shortcut?
Patrick: Respectfully decline meeting invites.
Alexander: What is the best advice you have ever received?
Patrick: We often think about personas and audiences when we build products. The best advice I have received is to actively think about that for most anything we do. In the business world, it helps me tailor the message about something I am seeking approval for to the very target audience I'm speaking to. In the data world, it helps me select the right granularity of data that informs but does not overwhelm.
Key Takeaways
Chat tools bridge the gap between emails and distractive phone calls. Once conversations turn complex, a video conversation can be a more efficient channel.
Employees can learn at their own pace if they have access to well-crafted training through a learning management system.
Companies have to come up with their own internal data dictionaries for delivering a consistent message.
Chapter 4 Edna Conway: Protecting the Modern Workplace from Cyber Threats and Compliance Risks
Edna Conway, VP, chief security and risk officer for Azure, Microsoft
Source: Edna Conway
Edna Conway forecasts the future of business and creates clear strategies to deliver new and secure operating models for a digital economy. She is a sought-after industry influencer, bringing rich perspective forged from more than 30 years of broad and deep leadership success creating new organizations and delivering cybersecurity, compliance, and risk management across a $143 billion technology company. Conway is a builder of new capabilities that achieve lasting and pervasive operational improvement.
Alexander: You are Azure's VP, chief security and risk officer at Microsoft. What is your mission?
Edna: It is an interesting mission because it is a role that didn't previously exist. As a result, I had the great privilege to craft its scope and mission to deliver optimum impact. My team's focus is ensuring that Azure is the most trusted cloud platform on the planet. This mission drives every aspect of what we do.
The core of this mission is ensuring customer trust — trust in the Azure platform itself and trust in us as a partner in their success. Earning that trust requires two digital capabilities: security and resilience.
A comprehensive approach to security fully addresses these concerns:
Physical security
Logical and operational security
Behavioral security
Information security
Intellectual property protection
Privacy
An approach to risk management and resilience must focus on continuing operations in a world-class manner. For my mission that includes the following:
Business continuity and disaster recovery
Anti-bribery and anti-corruption protocols
Human
