The Problem with BI

In Results-Based Leadership, authors Ulrich, Zenger, and Smallwood write that “Leaders who aren’t getting results aren’t truly leading.” Most managers instinctively know this. Successful ones understand the BI Value Chain, and they rely on having the right information at the right time in order to support strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making. They are results-based leaders: managers driven by the “need to know” supported by a robust business intelligence capability. They recognize the instrumental role information plays in creating value. They see information as the lifeblood of the organization, and they use it to confidently and consistently lead by delivering results that count. In my experience, this kind of results-based leader isn’t a common type of leader. I say that because today—more than two decades after Howard Dresner coined the term “business intelligence”—too many organizations and the decision-makers who run them still struggle to get BI right.

In an effort to help executives lead, the industry has spent the last twenty years making data access easier, analytic capability more comprehensive, and platforms more scalable. Yet, despite pouring billions of dollars into BI initiatives, many managers still come-up empty-handed when they reach for the information they need to make well-informed decisions. They live in what futurist and author Thornton May calls the “analytical dark ages.” Executives are simply unable to fully capitalize on BI’s promise of turning actionable insight into real business value because information they need is either limited or missing entirely from the decision-making process. Their BI Value Chains are broken—the kind of result you can expect when business and IT fail to adequately address four primary challenges associated with BI planning and execution:

Challenge #1 - Organizations get enamored with technology and lose business perspective;

Challenge #2 -Organizations over-complicate the BI effort;

Challenge #3 - Organizations fail to evangelize;

Challenge #4 - Organizations don’t manage their BI initiatives to expected business outcomes.

The good news is that there are practical steps you can take and techniques you can use to effectively address these challenges in order to turn every manager into a result-based leader.

Excerpted from the book, Hyper: Changing the way you think about, plan, and execute business intelligence for real results, real fast! by Greg Steffine (Foreword by Boris Evelson, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research). Available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover editions.

I am a business intelligence strategist, solution delivery leader, and Amazon bestselling author. For more than 25 years now, I've had the privilege of working with some of the most recognizable names in business—from mid-market growth organizations to the Fortune 500. My passion is to help business leaders use information to create and maximize value. Visit SandersonPress.com to learn more.