mgmt 421 11/5 - chapter 8

Group Presentation and Attendance Requirements

• Students must be flexible regarding attendance on the last day unless unable to attend due to travel.
  

• Submissions are due by the 23rd for all students.
  

• If students signed up for Day 1 but present on Day 2, they still receive a bonus of +10 points if ready on Day 1.
  

• The roster for presenters on Day 1 will be determined on the actual day.
  

Dress Code Expectations

• Clarification of dress code for the event:
  

  • Expected attire is business casual, not formal attire.
    

  • Anecdote shared about transitioning to business casual from formal dress in workplaces, specifically from experiences in Houston in 1997.
    

  • Key reflection: The importance of adapting to modern norms from past formalities in the workplace.

PowerPoint and Visual Presentation Guidelines

• Emphasis on the use of personal visuals and graphics in presentations:
  

  • Students are encouraged to utilize their discretion on what to include.
    

  • It is acceptable to suggest additional information as part of recommendations.
    

  • Visuals are essential for data analytics and should connect to the narrative being presented.
    

  • Avoid having excessive bullet points in slides; instead, aim for more innovative visuals.
    

Assignment Submission Clarity

• For the Chapter 7 assignment: clarify submission format.
  

  • Students must submit in TWBX format, which saves both the Tableau workbook and the associated data.
    

  • Difference between TWB (Tableau Workbook) and TWBX (Tableau Packaged Workbook):
    

  • TWB saves only the format, relying on a continuous data feed.
    

  • TWBX retains both workbook and data, necessary for static reference (such as Excel data).
    

• If submissions were in alternate formats like PDF or PowerPoint, resubmission in TWBX is required.
  

Additional Learning Opportunities

• Offer for interested students to engage in more challenging data analytics projects.
  

  • Plans to organize a Zoom meeting for this initiative to practice data analytics together.
    

  • Not for extra credit but a beneficial exercise for career skills development.
    

Course Schedule Updates

• Upcoming schedule outlined:
  

  • Completion of the book with chapters 8, 9, and 10 in the following sessions.
    

  • Guest lecture and final project introduction scheduled for the week of Thanksgiving.
    

  • Assignments will have specific due dates, including a new assignment worth 40 points to be discussed later.
    

Data Preparation and Visualization

• Key aspects of preparing data for analysis in Tableau:
  

  • Use of Tableau Prep and Data Interpreter functions discussed.
    

  • Importance of addressing null values in datasets to ensure accurate data representation.
    

  • Nulls in Excel appear often as 'null' in Tableau, affecting visualizations if plotted as zero.
    

  • Different methods to handle null values include filtering or replacing with meaningful text.
    

• Workbook Optimizer function mentioned, useful for assessing data presentations' accessibility and quality.
  

Dashboard and Storytelling Techniques

• Refresh on dashboard creation:
  

  • Four-quadrant dashboard layout recommended for clarity.
    

  • Contextual note about reading patterns in Western cultures; important visuals should be positioned top left, with least important on the bottom right.
    

• Introduction to storytelling within Tableau outlined:
  

  • Concept of story points compared to traditional presentation slides, emphasizing interactivity.
    

  • Benefits of embedding interactivity into story points not achievable in PowerPoint presentations.
    

Presentation Audience Considerations

• Key factors to assess when preparing presentations:
  

  • Understanding the audience's background, emotional context, and level of data familiarity.
    

  • Need for presenters to demonstrate confidence and credibility, especially to unfamiliar audiences.
    

  • Awareness of personal biases or preconceived notions affecting data interpretation.
    

• Questions to include in the storytelling checklist:
  

  1. Who is the audience?
     

  2. What do they need?
     

  3. How well do they know the data?
     

  4. How does one’s own familiarity with the data impact presentation style?
     

Structuring Your Narrative and Storyboarding

• Process for storyboarding a data story:
  

  • Act 1 introduces the scenario, establishing characters (data) and setting (context).
    

  • Act 2 details the main findings and narrative journey through the data.
    

  • Act 3 concludes with a climax and call-to-action, guiding audience to interpret findings.
    

  • The three-act structure recommended for crafting compelling data narratives.
    

Hands-on Exercise and Practicing Presentation Skills

• The session will involve reading a scenario and answering questions from the storytelling checklist.

• Collaboration with a partner to better analyze and articulate responses.
  

  • Importance of this practice for real-world application and confidence in professional settings mentioned.

  • Reminder that thoughtful planning leads to more impactful presentations, reflecting experiences from the instructor's career.