Effective Stakeholder Interview Strategies for Data Engineers: Joe and Colleen Conversation on Data Needs

Joe interviewed Colleen

As part of the Data Engineering course on Coursera,

Joe Reis

, a data engineer, conducts a stakeholder interview with Colleen Fotsch, a Senior Technical Manager, data scientist, and software engineer from the Marketing Technologies team. This conversation offers practical insights into how data engineers collaborate with business teams to create effective data solutions.

Here's an overview of Joe's strategy and approach during the interview:

𝟭. Building Rapport: Joe starts by introducing himself and establishing a comfortable atmosphere to encourage Colleen to share her challenges.

𝟮. Asking Exploratory Questions: He asks open-ended questions to uncover Colleen’s workflow and pain points.

𝟯. Practising Active Listening: Joe carefully listens, paraphrases, and clarifies Colleen’s input to fully understand her concerns about manual data dumps and the need for real-time data.

𝟰. Clarifying for Alignment: Throughout the discussion, Joe paraphrases and rephrases key points to confirm mutual understanding and ensure both parties remain aligned.

𝟱. Identifying Key Objectives: Joe explores the marketing team’s objectives, focusing on real-time data needs and how timely analysis can add value to the business.

𝟲. Facilitating Cross-Team Collaboration: Recognising the importance of alignment across teams, Joe commits to following up with other stakeholders in the marketing team to further clarify their real-time data requirements.

Joe and Collen - deeplearning.ai

To summarise, the essential elements of any requirements-gathering conversation involve:

1. Identifying existing systems and challenges.

2. Understanding how stakeholders plan to use the data.

3. Confirming your understanding.

4. Determining any additional stakeholders who should be consulted.
   

"If you're interested in learning more about effective collaboration with stakeholders, check out my previous post [here].

Want to learn more about Joe Reis?

• Substack: [Joe Reis’s Substack Link]

• Book: Fundamentals of Data Engineering: Plan and Build Robust Data Systems by Joe Reis and Matt Housley – [Amazon Australia Link Here]

• Course: Data Engineering – [DeepLearning.AI]

Curious to know more about Colleen Fotsch?

• Videos: Improving Your Health and Wellness – Techie Edition with Colleen Fotsch

  Available on [YouTube] and [Spotify]