Using Data to Make Powerful Decisions

Advances in computing power have led to a massive explosion in the amount of data available for analysis.  But many businesses don’t take advantage of the opportunities for analyzing their data, and miss out on opportunities to improve their bottom line.  

This series covers an introduction to analytics and  common analytics tools and methods, providing  today’s professionals with an understanding of what it means to lead with data while actively working with visual datasets to develop best practices to tell a story or make an impact.   The program wraps up with the importance of understanding people analytics and forecasting in order to create effective action plans.  

Data Analytics for Leaders MicroCredential Certificate

By completing all sessions and intersession activities delegates will be awarded the Data Analytics for Leaders Microcredential Certificate. 

Workshop Descriptions

Session 1:  Introduction to Data Analytics for Leaders  

We can’t escape the presence of data in the media these days.  Advances in computing power have led to a massive explosion in the amount of data available for analysis.  But many businesses don’t take advantage of the opportunities for analyzing their data, and miss out on opportunities to improve their bottom line.   This first session will introduce leaders to what analytics is, and to common tools and methods used to perform analytics and convey results.  We’ll review examples in Descriptive, Predictive and Prescriptive analytics with an emphasis on concrete examples from business. 

Session 2: Data Literacy for Leaders 

Description:  As a leader responsible for the success of your organization, you need to be able to understand and take full advantage of your data.   But where do you start?  And how do you know which data you can trust? We’ll build on the concepts from Session 1 to address these questions, and chart a path forward to strategic use for yourself and for your team.

Session 3:  Storytelling Through Data Visualization / Communicate for Impact      

Description:  Numbers don’t tell the whole story.  They require context, they require an understanding of your business, and they require critical thinking.  In this session we’ll review best practices for presenting data through visual methods including graphs, infographics, and dashboards.  We’ll weigh the pros and cons of each, and discuss the merits of different types of charts, graphs and visuals to deliver your message.  

Session 4:   People Analytics   

Description:  Researchers are finding more and more evidence that leveraging human capital improves a company’s performance - its stock price, its customer satisfaction, its employee retention, and others.  As a leader responsible for the success of your organization, you need to be able to leverage data to take full advantage of this resource. We’ll discuss examples of how data and analytics can help leaders understand the value of an engaged employee, recognize factors that lead to employee turnover, predict the future productivity of job applicants, and proactively uncover sources of top-caliber talent. 

Session 5:  Forecasting Basics & Pitfalls  

Description:  One especially helpful use of analytics for business is forecasting.  We’ll review several types of forecasting that are regularly employed by businesses, time-series (trend lines, moving averages)  and associative (correlation, regression).   No method is perfect, however, and we’ll discuss the advantages of each as well as the drawbacks.  We’ll also look at some of the common pitfalls that both analysts and decision-makers make, and suggest ways to mitigate for that.

Session 6:  Putting It All Together:  KPIs, Building an Action Plan, and Google Analytics  

Description:  Our final session will consolidate what we’ve covered into a plan for action going forward.  We’ll walk through how to determine what metrics and analyses are the important ones for you to focus on in your business, depending on what your goals are.  Using Google Analytics as an example, we’ll identify the metrics that you’ll want to be keeping your eyes on within your organization, what questions they can (and can’t!) answer, and what analyses you’ll need to be receiving on a regular basis.  We’ll discuss building the internal structure that will deliver these metrics and analyses to you, from reporting programs to the skills needed by your team members.

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About Julie Alig, Ph.D.

Julie Alig is a data geek who’s passionate about telling stories and works with organizations, businesses, non-profits, colleges and universities, and other groups to uncover the stories in their data, using statistics and visualizations. Armed with this knowledge, they make strong, strategic decisions to move forward.  She earned her Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct her dissertation field research in Stuttgart, Germany.  She graduated cum laude from Columbia College in New York City with a Bachelor’s in History and French Literature.  She lives in Manchester with her husband and two children.

Tuesdays 9am - 11am September - November 9, 2021

Being a frontline manager is hard. Meeting organizational demands in an efficient and effective way can be challenging, frustrating and seemingly never ending. In order to succeed, the frontline manager must not only have the technical skills to do the job, but the people skills needed to cultivate and maintain a culture where employees are recognized as the organization’s most important asset and consistently treated that way.

Presented in eight (8) two (2) hour sessions, this series explores what it takes for a frontline manager to become a frontline leader. The journey taken in this series begins with self- awareness, travels through making the break from the line to manager, makes stops to consider the success steps needed to supervise well and arrives with the transition of the manager to leader.

Throughout the entire series the focus will be on the soft skills all managers need. The series is accentuated by active participation of attendees, readings and exercises. Attendees will leave this series not only with the information needed to manage people well, but with the encouragement to do so.

Participants must complete all sessions in order to be awarded a certificate of successful completion. Participants are surveyed anonymously in advance of the training so as to give instructors a better sense of the participant’s background and expectations. Participants are also surveyed at the end of the program to determine the programs impact and to allow for feedback in order to continuously improve the program.

Topics include:

• The Importance of Human Factors
• Making the Break from Line to Manager
• Supervisory Success
• Ethics, Courtesy, Civility, & Respect
• The Leadership Perspective

About the instructor:

Nick Manolis – NHTI, Business & Training Center Instructor

Nick Manolis has spent his career in a wide variety of senior management and consulting roles in the private, public and non-profit sectors focusing on human resource management, training, development and facilitation. Most recently, Nick served as Vice President of Human Resource Development for Associated Grocers of New England. Over the past year Nick has been engaged in providing training and development services to health care, government, food service, manufacturing, distribution and educational organizations. The principle that “helping organizations develop and grow by helping employees develop and grow” fuels Nick’s passion and guides his work.

Note:  We can bring this to your organization - on your own schedule as a customized training if you have a team of 8 or more.  Please contact Allison Mollica if you are interested - amollica@ccsnh.edu

The Proven Personal Leadership System Based on Timeless Principles of Effectiveness

Dates:  Wednesdays, 8:30am to 10:30am October 6 - November 17, 2021

Includes 7 Habits Course Kit & Interactive App

Based on Stephen R. Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®, which after 30 years continues to be a best seller for the simple reason that it ignores trends and pop psychology and focuses on timeless principles of fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity for personal effectiveness, leadership development and change.

Presented in (7) two (2) hour sessions, this series explores how “living the 7 Habits” can help you lead your life in a truly effective way.  This proven process of personal and interpersonal growth begins with an introduction to the paradigms and principles of effectiveness. With this foundation in place, we will learn about the habits that lead to personal mastery: being proactive, beginning with the end in mind and putting first things first. Next, we transition to the habits that improve our interpersonal communications and relationships: thinking win-win, seeking first to understand and synergizing. The final habit, sharpening our saw, will illustrate the importance of making self-care a priority. Lastly, participants will identify the areas in their personal and professional lives that matter most and develop a plan for turning their ideas and good intentions into action.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® MicroCredential Certificate

Participants must complete all sessions in order to be awarded a certificate of successful completion. Participants are surveyed anonymously in advance of the training so as to give instructors a better sense of the participant’s background and expectations. Participants are also surveyed at the end of the program to determine the program's impact and to allow for feedback in order to continuously improve the program. 

Session 1:  Orientation & Foundations of the 7 Habits

Session 2: Habit 1: Be Proactive  

So often, success is perceived by what we see on the surface, however true development of effectiveness comes from the inside-out and is more about character than personality. Our 7 Habits learning journey begins with proactively taking responsibility for your life. Proactive people recognize that they are "response-able." They don't blame genetics, circumstances or conditions for their behavior. They consciously choose their behavior.

Session 3:  Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind                                      People are working harder than ever, but because clarity and vision are often lacking, they are not getting very far in terms of overall fulfillment and happiness. Highly effective people make a conscious effort to visualize who they are and what they want in life. It's about reconnecting with your strengths and uniqueness and then defining the personal, moral, and ethical guidelines within which you can most happily express and fulfill yourself.

Session 4:  Habit 3 - Put First Things First  

To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes across your path is okay. There's no need to overextend yourself. Highly effective people realize that it's alright to say no sometimes in order to focus on their highest priorities. Putting first things first isn’t just about time management, it’s about life management. What are "first things?" Those things you personally find most valuable and meaningful.

Session 5:   Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Thinking Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a compromise. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration. Most of us think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Highly effective people see life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. It’s a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit which is also critical to understanding others.

Session 6:  Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood  

Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend years learning how to read, write and speak, but what about listening? Most people seek first to be understood, to get their point across, and in doing so, may ignore the other person or selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation and miss the meaning entirely. Seeking first to understand is listening with the intent to understand, not to reply, which establishes mutual respect and opens the door to creative cooperation--the mindset that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Session 7:  Habit 6 & 7 Synergize & Sharpen the Saw and Key Take-Aways and Action Planning 

Sharpening the saw means preserving and enhancing the greatest asset you have--you. It means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four key areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. Renewing yourself in each of the four areas facilitates growth and change in your life and inspires you to practice the other six habits. You increase your capacity to produce and effectively handle challenges. We will conclude our session with individual reflection, sharing of key take-aways and action planning to set you up for successful ongoing application of learning and positive results in the most important areas of your life.

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About Debra Schuler, B.S. Management, Positive Psychology Certificate

Debra Schuler is a lifelong learner dedicated to helping individuals at all stages of life and career lead themselves with more clarity, purpose and intention to achieve greater fulfillment, joy and success personally and professionally.  She works with organizations, youth development non-profits, colleges and universities, and women-in-transition throughout the US and globally to inspire others to take bold risks, realize their full potential and achieve greatness in their lives. She earned her B.S. in Management from Rivier University and was awarded a Certificate in Positive Psychology from Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar and the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.  She is also a graduate of Butera School of Art in Boston and a member of the International Expressive Art Therapy Association. She lives in Portsmouth, NH with her husband and son.  www.ensolifebydesign.com

HR Essentials!  Using Data to Make Powerful Decisions

Researchers are finding more and more evidence that leveraging human capital improves a company’s performance – its revenue, customer satisfaction, employee retention, and ability to attract new employees, among others.   As a leader responsible for the success of your organization, you need to be able to leverage data to take full advantage of this valuable resource.  This 6-week microcredential course will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to begin doing just that.  In non-technical language, this introduction to the emerging field of “People Analytics” will review the basics of the theory, practice and terminology of people-centered analytics in organizations today.

Presented in six (6) two (2) hour sessions, you’ll learn what metrics are the most important to focus on for your organization, and importantly, which analytics are the most appropriate to use when answering the questions facing you and your colleagues.  We’ll address the challenge of data silos and of “messy data,” and review the lifecycle of an analytics project from conception to delivery of results.  Use cases will be drawn from areas including talent acquisition, employee retention, workforce planning, employee engagement, and compensation.  Finally, ethical considerations surrounding the use of employee data will be addressed. 

You’ll come away from this course with the ability to improve your decision-making by optimizing the use of data, analytical methods, and especially your human capital.

Data Analytics for HR Professionals MicroCredential 

Participants must complete all sessions in order to be awarded a certificate of successful completion. Participants are surveyed anonymously in advance of the training so as to give instructors a better sense of the participant’s background and expectations. Participants are also surveyed at the end of the program to determine the program's impact and to allow for feedback in order to continuously improve the program. 

Who Should Attend

This microcredential course is primarily designed for the Director level and above; for functional area leaders; general management; and C-suite executives who want to learn how to drive business results by incorporating human resources data and analysis into decision-making.

Participants should possess strong management and communication skills, as well as a basic working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.  No previous knowledge of or experience with statistics or analytics is required, though statistical tools and methods will be mentioned as appropriate in discussions of HR topics.

Workshop Descriptions

Session 1:  Analytics, and What It Can Contribute to HR; Descriptive, Predictive, etc.

Session 2:  Talent Acquisition

Session 3:  Retention and Turnover

Session 4:  Employee Engagement

Session 5:  Diversity and Inclusion; HR Metrics

Session 6:  Data to Action:  Persuasive Storytelling and Ethical Considerations

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About Julie Alig, Ph.D.

Julie Alig is a data geek who’s passionate about telling stories and works with organizations, businesses, non-profits, colleges and universities, and other groups to uncover the stories in their data, using statistics and visualizations. Armed with this knowledge, they make strong, strategic decisions to move forward.  She earned her Doctorate in Political Science from the University of Chicago, and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct her dissertation field research in Stuttgart, Germany.  She graduated cum laude from Columbia College in New York City with a Bachelor’s in History and French Literature.  She lives in Manchester with her husband and two children.