The work of us data professionals can seem cold and impersonal. Spreadsheets and calculations. Code goes in, numbers come out. And… yes, that’s fairly accurate. But the human side of us data geeks is being more widely recognised and celebrated in recent years. In fact, almost all the highlights of my career have in some way involved the rich, collaborative nature of the public sector data community. This is one of these stories.
Between May and July 2024, I took part, as a mentor, in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Data Science Campus’ Data Visualisation Accelerator programme1. Through the programme, I helped a colleague from The National Archive in developing a dashboard to showcase archive data to colleagues and partners.
My experience was joyful and rewarding – thanks in no small part to my mentee. So much so that it inspired me to write this blog. Here I share some of the key lessons I learned:
1For the uninitiated, the Data Science and Data Visualisation Accelerator programmes were mentoring schemes managed by the ONS Data Science Campus. The programmes matched aspiring data scientists and analysts with mentors with skills relevant to their proposed project. Mentors and mentees were accepted from across the public sector, including local government. In practice, this involves a mentee setting aside one day a week for 12 weeks to work on an agreed project with regular, remote check-ins with their mentor for support on technical issues and general guidance to keep the project on track. The accelerator programmes ran for the last time in 2024.
1. Get your ducks in a row early on
I joke that the data conference circuit has taught me the importance of an ethics-first, privacy-first, equality-first, governance-first, stakeholder-first, data-first approach (in no particular order). But joking aside, having important conversations with the right people early on in your planning is crucial. This will include speaking to information governance and ethics colleagues, decision makers and other colleagues who might be affected by your work.
On a related note, it also helps to be very clear – not only about what the person you’re supporting is looking to achieve - but also what they are hoping to learn. Doing so will not only allow you to deliver the output but will also help ensure that you are imparting those key skills in the process.
2. The art of teaching without doing (everything)
The purpose of the exercise is to maximise the value to the person you’re supporting. The temptation to work as quickly as you would by yourself can be hard to fight, but it’s important not to take over. People learn in different ways, but most benefit from the opportunity to do things themselves, rather than just being shown.
This approach extends to the management and planning of the work. Encourage those you are supporting to take as much responsibility as possible for how they allocate their time. Doing so offers them valuable experience in leading their own work. Additionally, it enables them to tailor the project to develop skills and insights that are most relevant and meaningful to them.
On the other hand, you should have an idea of which of your skills you want to prioritise, so that you can make sure that time is set aside to cover them. And don’t forget that a key part of teaching is to check the work that has been done. Remember to give feedback by the end of the project on their use of the new techniques and the quality of the output itself.
3. Know the value of your knowledge
I had taken for granted how much there is to know about data visualisation. Especially when working in a technical role, it’s easy to under-value the small things. I anticipated that a significant amount of our time would be spent writing code and drafting dashboards. But I underestimated how much there is to teach about the fundamentals:
- When is each type of chart most effective?
- How to write clear and informative titles?
- How much to put on each page?
- How to decide on which colours to use?
- When are charts disclosive?
Sharing this kind of knowledge is as important as developing technical skills and is well worth considering. See our Presenting Data guide for more information.
Teaching is its own reward
Once you’re comfortable with a topic, it can be difficult to identify the gaps in your knowledge. This can make it hard to continue to improve but can also undermine our self-belief. Teaching tests the limits of our understanding and has a way of reaching all the dusty shelves of our brains. This experience reaffirmed that teaching is a valuable tool for self-improvement.
With our busy lives and hectic work schedules, it can be difficult to find time to help others develop, but it is so worthwhile. Aside from getting to see someone else grow and get more confident, you also get a chance to give back and – fingers crossed – experience the joy of seeing someone achieve something that they previously couldn’t have.
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