Making Big Data Small & Personal to Improve Business Performance

Lee Bryant, Dachis Group, March 2013

• Dachis Group is the leading global, integrated, end-to-end social business consultancy, with over 200 online professionals serving over 35% of the Fortune 500 and many of the world’s top professional services firms.

• The London office was established in 2002 to focus on helping clients make use of smarter, simpler, social technologies to improve business performance, internal collaboration and client engagement.

PORTLAND

AUSTINST. LOUIS

LINCOLN

NEW YORK

LONDON

Introduction to Dachis Group

Big Data is already big news:Some very ‘big ticket’ activities have already been transformed by big data, and this will also happen in HR / performance management

What do we mean by ‘Big Data’ ?

But ‘big’ data is not the goal. ‘Small data’ rich with insights is the goal.

That moment when you realise your $100m+ bet on ‘belief’ just lost

Meanwhile ... President Obama hugs a data nerd after their win

Soccer, F1, baseball were transformed by big data so why not HR?

In most firms today, we have reached the limit of carrot and stick management and extrinsic motivation as a way of orchestrating human labour.

How can we encourage greater self-management and alignment?

Social Business + Big Data:How the new world of workplace technology provides an environment to make sense of data and how this can improve business performance

We used to operate exclusively in simple hierarchies

Management had two main motivating tools...

Now, organisations are becoming service-oriented

Organisations are becoming more ‘podular’, less rigid

Tight feedback loops and real-time data help manage performance

Reports are rear view mirrors, not motivators or catalysts for change

Open, honest performance data encourages better performance

Open, honest performance data encourages better performance

Working in the open throws off valuable ambient signals for others

Working in the open throws off valuable ambient signals for others

Working in the open throws off valuable ambient signals for others

Working in the open throws off valuable ambient signals for others

Real-time feedback also changes the role of management

Real-time feedback also changes the role of management

What other sources of data can be aggregated to create value?

Turning real-time operational data into a motivator

Turning real-time operational data into a motivator

Just the simple act of “publicizing” those numbers — not in a cruel way, but a “where are we at as a group?” way — has kept the support process on-task and, I think, made it a bit more like a video game.

NYC’s 311 service: example of turning cost into shared value

How can this help employee performance?How can social business and ‘big data’ help people take more control over their objectives without ‘information overload’

‘Small data’ enables greater intimacy and ambient awareness

Ambient awareness is a key driver of improved performance

If we lift our eyes from the inbox, we can handle a lot more data

Social Business platforms are throwing off useful ambient info...

Social Business platforms are throwing off useful ambient info...

... and provide useful shared environments for sensemaking

Leading social platforms also adopting more specific HR functionality

Leading social platforms also adopting more specific HR functionality

Performance data is already being embedded in social tools

Employees are helping make sense of external social signals

Some are using game mechanics to incentivise participation

Smart tools and shared interfaces are the key to filtering

Beyond Carrots & Sticks:

• Social Business encourages greater self-management and autonomy

• Real-time, open data can play a key role in aligning employee objectives

• Social + data = the whole firm potentially sensemaking & responding

• The shift from email culture to social signals can help address info overload

• We need better personal aggregation and filtering tools to make this easier

@LeeBryant

Thanks for listening

Image CreditsExcept where otherwise stated, photos courtesy of Flickr using Creative Commons license.Thanks to the following image sources:

http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/03/the-panic-status-board/http://www.flickr.com/photos/peasap/655111542/http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/5631289680http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/5681210156http://www.flickr.com/photos/featheredtar/2302651444 http://www.wwtid.com/2012/11/18/the-big-pivot-part-3/https://harperreed.org/photoshttp://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.com/_nv/more/section/archive?author=salgentilehttp://www.ft.com/cms/255f6de0-97d1-11e0-9c37-00144feab49a.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/8194170066http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/6865783407http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/6416285269http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegray/6416285535http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/3338169165https://www.gov.uk/performancehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/denisdervisevic/4745520501/sizes/l/ http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_311_new_york/all/1 http://www.macworld.co.uk/macsoftware/masterclass/?articleid=3349971