Critical thinking is one of the most in-demand skills that successful marketing, communications, and reporting professionals possess.
We live in an age of increased competition, automation, and speed. Nowadays, specific knowledge in a particular domain became increasingly important for achieving great results. Naval Ravikant, CEO and founder of AngelList states that building specific knowledge lies at the intersection of creativity, first-hand work experience, and downright obsession. Thus, you can never automate it.
In the business world, judgment derived from specific knowledge is the most powerful leverage. A marketing manager who makes the right budget decisions on what portfolio to focus on and how to promote it can make the difference between a market leader and a market laggard. The thing is, you require reliable data to make these decisions. Getting decisions right just 10% of the time more than your competition can put you at a great advantage. This advantage could translate into huge gaps in revenue.
You will gain note-worthy results and trustworthy judgment if you consistently apply specific knowledge with authenticity and accountability. It is this judgment that acts as a significant lever and makes the outputs of your work exponentially better. As with everything else, judgment plays a crucial role in working with data, especially when we constantly transact data and insights as part of what we do.
Seven truths you cannot elude:
Truth 1 - You are paid for your ability to make the right decisions.
Truth 2 - To make the right decisions, you need to have specific knowledge in sourcing and interpreting reliable data.
Truth 3 - You cannot automate this kind of specific knowledge. It is highly creative and also entails technical aspects and expertise.
Truth 4 -To gain specific knowledge and critical thinking in working with data, you need a combination of education, obsession, and work experience.
Truth 5 - It costs you too much time and effort to acquire the right level of specific knowledge and critical thinking in working with data all by yourself. You are likely to have too much on your plate as it is.
Truth 6 - You can derive specific knowledge in working with data through mentorship and specific guidance. Sometimes all it takes is knowing what's out there and whom to go to for what. You need to get equipped with knowing your options, your resources, the experts, and your budgets so you can piece them all together to creatively get what you want.
Truth 7 - It is entirely up to you to begin your data literacy journey and seek "short & sweet" mentorship that equips you with critical thinking and specific knowledge in using data.
To learn more about specific knowledge and its impact on your career, jobs of the future, and society at large, follow the work of Naval Ravikant.
Luckily, now you can gain specific, foundational knowledge in using data while sipping your morning coffee. Subscribe to the free email course guidetoinsights.com and learn more!
This is Liviu. In short, the insights guy.
Research & Data Visualization professional with background in management, marketing and advertising. Market Research & Advertising MA with trainer certification. Coordinated insightful research, reports, presentations and white papers with smart data analysis and editorial quality insights. Experienced data projects and data teams manager overseeing all stages from proposal to delivery.
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