The Data Analyst personality test — What type of decision maker are you?

What type of decision maker are you? And what can you offer your organization?

Analytical detectives carefully study evidence and use all the analytical and business intelligence (BI) tools at their disposal to make data-driven decisions. They typically go it alone, searching for clues wherever they might reside and generating new insights.

Analytical gunslingers, frustrated with sluggish access to relevant data and averse to complicated analytical tools, base decisions more on instinct, experience and intuition. They are willing to sacrifice perfection in an effort to keep up with the accelerating pace of business.

Analytical evangelists are true believers in the power of BI — they strive to enlighten the masses on the benefits of analyzing data and facilitating data-driven decision making. They understand the importance of collaboration in promoting BI and spurring the implementation of new solutions.

In this series of posts, I’ll explore the Analytical Mind Map project from The Aberdeen Group, a firm that undertakes primary research with industry participants. Aberdeen conducted a survey asking more than 650 BI users whether they were driven by data or instinct, whether they typically created or consumed analytical insights, the extent to which they used BI tools, and more. Based on the results, Aberdeen identified three distinct analytical personas: the detective, the gunslinger and the evangelist.

Each type can make an important, positive contribution to the enterprise. But to maximize those contributions, the organization needs to provide the most appropriate support and tools for each type. The first step is determining which category you — and your colleagues — match most closely.

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