Who in the Tableau community inspires you? Nominate them now!
Hey there! I wanted to share some exciting news with you - Tableau has opened up nominations for Ambassadors! To make things easier for you, I've put together a guide on what's required and how to gather information if you want to nominate someone (or even yourself!). You can find the link to the nomination form at the end of this article. Hope this helps!
This year, there are seven groups of Tableau Ambassadors ready to offer their services. A notable change this year is that Academic Ambassadors have replaced student ambassadors, as they will now include both students and educators.
Furthermore, Tableau's community has a pool of potential candidates for collaboration with Tableau in shaping the future of the product and community through self-nominations. You can find Tableau's informative blog post on nominations by Britt Staniar, the Sr. Community Programs Manager, here. Additionally, check out my #TableauNext initiative to discover many individuals deserving of the title "Ambassador" for their remarkable contributions.
I was fortunate enough to be selected as an ambassador in 2020. It was otherworldly when it was announced, and I was recognized in that fashion (article on that here). Ambassadorship is a significant responsibility and honor — it is something I continue to try to earn year-round. It also opened up many doors that I had no idea existed.
I learned how much Tableau actually cares about our community and looks for ways to nurture it at every opportunity, but with a soft hand enabling community leaders to lead that charge. There are very few things I’m prouder of than the work we have all been able to do together to promote inclusion and engagement further.
Many people wonder what makes a person ‘worthy’ of ambassadorship. It’s crucial to focus on the next wave of incredible talent and ensure all voices are heard. Of course, we all have our criteria, but what’s important is that you consider the following…
- When selecting individuals for our community, we must consider the diversity of voices and role models we present. While it may be tempting to choose those who are familiar to us, we must prioritize inclusivity and representation. Our ambassador groups have been excellent in the past, but we must constantly strive to improve and better reflect the diversity of our community.
- I believe that our ambassadors should excel in at least one area, but their representation should not be limited to just that. It is important to consider the individuals selected carefully - will they be visible and able to contribute to multiple groups? Ultimately, we want our ambassadors to have a positive impact. It is important to note that internal/company-specific contributions should not be a primary consideration.
- One may wonder if they will fulfill their pledge as an ambassador. The role of an ambassador requires year-round volunteering and involves a small but impressive group of talented, creative, intelligent, and empathetic individuals. It is crucial to carefully evaluate whether the selected person will consistently and actively contribute towards our community's growth, even after the initial excitement of being chosen wears off. It is important to ensure the ambassador is committed and present throughout the remaining months, even when life gets in the way.
More information on Tableau Ambassadorship is covered in my Salesforce Ben article, “Who Are Tableau Ambassadors and How Do You Become One.”
What do I need to get about a nominee to nominate that person?
This section is intended for those that plan to nominate others.
Required information:
- Nominee’s name
- What ambassador group are they being nominated for
- Contact information and email are preferred
- Why they would be a great addition to the cohort
Cohort specific:
- Tableau User Group: if they currently lead a Tableau User Group
- Academic — Student: Type of degree program, expected graduation year, extra-curricular activities/clubs | Educator: school taught at and ways to partner with Tableau
- DataDev: What is their DataDev program activity?
Information you should have:
- Social Media links (LinkedIn, Twitter, Tableau Public)
- Links establishing their work (up to six blogs, sites, initiatives, etc., to bolster their nomination further)
- What are the highlighted contributions the person made to the public-facing community?
- Why would they be a good ambassador?
The nomination forms provided by Tableau are user-friendly and efficient, but it can be beneficial to have all the necessary information on a single page to ensure that your nominee is presented in a cohesive manner. In order to assist you with this, I have created a template for your convenience.
Please note: This template was not created at Tableau’s behest, but I wanted to develop something to help me sort out my nominations and help others do the same.
Ambassador Nomination Template (link to Google Form)
…gives you a chance to look through what you need and be able to copy and paste it right into your nomination forms. All necessary external links are there for you to get background and context.
This helpful template assists with your Tableau Ambassador Nominations entries. Simply make a copy and save it to your Google Drive to edit. It outlines the required and optional information needed for your submission, making it easy to complete the form without searching for the necessary details. The template was created by Adam Mico using content from the Tableau form. If you have any questions about the template, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Adam Mico
Twitter | LinkedIn | Tableau Public
Note: My book, “Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification,” is available for order here.
