Many analysts are comfortable asking data questions. Fewer are comfortable asking business questions.

I've seen analysts spend days building reports without asking one simple question:

What decision will this report support?

• Not because they don't care.
• Because they're afraid.
• Afraid of looking inexperienced.
• Afraid of challenging a stakeholder.
• Afraid of asking what seems like an obvious question.

So they start building.

Inside many companies, this creates a hidden problem. Analysts receive requests. But rarely understand the business problem behind them. The result?

• Accurate reports.
• Low business impact.
• The strongest analysts do something differently.
• They slow down before they start.
• Why is this metric important?
• What action will follow this insight?
• How will success be measured?

Those questions can save weeks of unnecessary work. Yet they're often the questions nobody asks.

• Technical skills help analysts create reports.
• Business questions help analysts create value. And companies reward value far more than output.

Before starting your next analysis, do you fully understand the request or just the data behind it?

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