Hi! We’re Sergo Medin and Andrey Krasovitsky, analytics team leads at Avito. Throughout our careers, we’ve often seen analysts struggle to grow — not because of a lack of technical skills, but due to gaps in soft skills.
In this article, we share practical advice that helps analysts build stronger relationships with colleagues, tackle technical tasks more effectively, make better decisions, and organize their work. We’ll also reflect on our personal experiences, including mistakes we’ve made and how we overcame them.
The article is split into two parts. In this first part, we focus on building effective working relationships and maintaining a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout. The second part will cover problem-solving and professional growth for analysts.
Collaboration
Disclaimer
All our advice comes from real experience and practical examples we’ve discussed with our teams. When analysts neglect these soft skills, their growth often slows or even stops.
Unlike managers, analysts often underestimate the importance of effective communication. They focus heavily on solving problems but that alone isn’t enough. To grow, you also need to collaborate effectively—with stakeholders, managers, fellow analysts, and adjacent teams. Let’s illustrate this with a personal example.
Andrey Krasovitsky
When I worked at McKinsey, I was tasked with auditing data quality for a telecom client. I promised results in two weeks. The task was complex—large datasets, multiple stakeholders, time-consuming calculations. The task briefing was vague, so I focused on what I thought the project manager wanted. But he wasn’t an analyst. After two weeks, I had mapped the data and outlined a solution, but it didn’t align with what the client expected—and I wasn’t ready to present results.The biggest reason it failed? Poor communication with the project manager, client, and stakeholders.
Tip 1: Put Yourself in Others’ Shoes
Keep in mind that no one is as deeply immersed in the task and its technical details as the analyst. Other stakeholders might not be aware of all the complexities and nuances you're facing.
🔍 How to apply this tip in practice:
Imagine two analysts are asked to build a dashboard. Both estimate it will take three days and add the task to their sprint. As they begin working, it becomes clear the task is more complex than expected, and gathering the necessary data will be harder than they thought.
At this point, each analyst has two options:
🙅 The first analyst decides not to change the deadline and tries to solve the problems alone—staying late at work to meet the original timeline. He doesn’t update the manager because he’s too busy.
The manager starts to worry, not understanding what’s going on due to the lack of updates. They begin to check in frequently, which irritates the analyst, who sees the manager as being annoying and distracting.
Eventually, the deadline arrives—and the dashboard still isn’t ready. The analyst is frustrated with the manager’s constant reminders, while the manager is disappointed that the dashboard wasn’t delivered on time and that the issues weren’t flagged earlier. The deadline is postponed.
🙋 The second analyst, noticing the issues early, immediately schedules a call with the manager. He explains the problems and asks clarifying questions.
Together, they conclude that the dashboard will realistically take a week to build—not three days, as initially expected. The analyst then calmly completes the task.
Let’s break down what happened here. For the manager, this was just one task among many. It was assigned and estimated, and now the only way to stay updated is by checking in.
In the first case, the analyst didn’t consider the manager’s point of view and tried to handle everything alone. In the second, the analyst immediately communicated the problem, understanding that transparency is important for the manager too.
In both cases, the project deadline shifted—but only in the first case did it cause tension between the analyst and the manager. In the second, they understood each other better, the manager didn’t break any promises to others, and might have even developed greater trust in the analyst.
Andrey Krasovitsky
The ability to see a situation from someone else’s perspective is a universal skill. It improves work quality, builds trust, and has a positive impact on outcomes—including performance reviews. Let’s go back to my example with the data audit for the telecom operator. At the time, I failed to consider that the manager was overseeing five other workstreams, and this task wasn’t their top priority. I should have approached communication differently from the start and flagged the potential risks early on.
Tip 2: Learn to Push Back and Challenge Ideas
An analyst’s backlog is always full, and sprint plans are often set months in advance. Yet somehow, there’s always one more “urgent” task that needs immediate attention. In these situations, analysts usually fall into one of two groups:
🙅 Those who say “no” to any new task that wasn’t pre-planned. These tasks often get buried in the backlog and forgotten—or completed half-heartedly, just to check the box.
🙋 On the other hand, some analysts say “yes” to every request, no matter where it comes from. These folks often end up overloaded, quickly burn out, and eventually turn into analysts from the first group. By agreeing to everything, they’re forced to juggle too many tasks under tight deadlines.
The ideal approach lies somewhere in the middle. But that doesn’t mean you should aim to accept 50% of tasks and reject the other 50%. It's not about quotas—it’s about thoughtful prioritization and knowing when (and how) to push back.
Sergo Medin
I often see junior analysts take on every single task that comes their way from stakeholders. They don’t evaluate how important these tasks are to the business—they just start working on them. This rarely ends well. These analysts overload themselves with low-priority tasks, end up working overtime, get stressed, and eventually burn out. For junior analysts, it’s especially difficult to prioritize on their own or to explain their reasoning to stakeholders. Many believe that doing quality work means completing as many tasks as possible.That’s why, in the early stages, strong support from a team lead is essential to prevent burnout. Only with experience do analysts begin to truly understand the importance of prioritization.
Learn to Understand the Core of the Task
This approach helps you identify high-priority tasks and allocate your time and energy more effectively.
There’s no universal checklist—each analyst develops their own set of questions. But there’s one question you should always be able to answer: “What will change once this task is completed?”
Why does this matter? Simply telling a stakeholder “yes” or “no” isn’t enough. Your answer—either way—should be well reasoned.
If you agree to take on a task, you should clearly understand why it deserves a higher priority than others. That means understanding its business impact and value.
Deeply engaging with a request not only helps prevent burnout, but also improves your work quality, leads to better solutions, and allows you to show real analytical initiative.
If you decline a task, you should clearly explain why you can’t invest your time in it—and ideally suggest alternatives. Follow the principle: “If you reject something, offer something else.”
Often, stakeholders haven’t done proper prep work or don’t fully understand the nuances. Sometimes the task does make sense, but the analyst doesn’t have the bandwidth because more critical projects are underway.
🔍 How to apply this tip in practice:
Imagine your manager asks you to run an A/B test for a new feature. The wrong move would be to either automatically say no or agree without thinking. Why?
- Some hypotheses can be tested using data you’ve already collected—no need for a new experiment.
- Certain features can be launched without any experimentation at all.
- The request might be a one-off initiative that won’t scale or be rolled out broadly — even if the test succeeds. For example, due to upcoming product changes.
The better approach looks like this:
1.Clarify the task:
- What questions are we trying to answer?
- What actions will we take depending on the outcome?
- Are there any blockers to running this test?
2.Prepare thoroughly:
- Estimate the potential impact.
- Define the experiment’s duration.
- Check if the required data is available.
- Think about possible risks or constraints—seasonality, tech limitations, etc.
💡 One rule for every step: Keep asking questions until you’re crystal clear on what’s expected of you. Don’t be shy—clarity leads to better outcomes.
If your manager or stakeholder doesn’t have all the answers, help them find them. Analysts who take initiative and partially step into a product manager’s shoes are incredibly valuable.
This kind of collaboration should be a two-way conversation—not just a stream of vague requests and one-word replies.
Along the way, you may uncover valuable insights, improve the original idea, propose a smarter plan, or even find a better solution altogether.
Andrey Krasovitsky
In that data audit case, I immediately thought the proposed idea wasn’t feasible—but I stayed silent. What I should’ve done was ask clarifying questions early on, voice my concerns about the expected outcome, and push back in the right way by highlighting an alternative solution—which, in the end, is exactly what we ended up implementing. Had I done that from the start, I wouldn’t have wasted time trying to shape the solution into what the manager initially described.
Tip 3: Gather Feedback Regularly
Performance reviews are becoming more common in many companies—they’re used to assess employee performance over a given period. Based on the results, goals are set, salary decisions are made, and career development is planned.
Reviews are closely tied to career growth, but for many people, they also bring stress and anxiety. In part, that’s because the review process in some companies can be quite subjective.
Sergo Medin
When I worked as a senior analyst, my manager rarely scheduled meetings with me. I prioritized tasks on my own, coordinated directly with product managers, and simply reported back to him on what I’d completed. His typical response was something like, “Everything looks good, you’re moving in the right direction,” without digging deeper into the work itself.
Going into my performance review, I expected excellent results—above average—since all the managers I worked with were happy, tasks were completed, and in some cases, we even exceeded our goals. So I was unpleasantly surprised when I received a below-average rating. My manager explained that, after reviewing my output, he didn’t find the work complex or impressive enough from an analytical standpoint. I disagreed: for six months, he’d expressed satisfaction and never suggested any changes. But in the review, his feedback completely shifted. That’s when I decided to continue my career in another team. Now, as a team lead myself, I try to prevent situations like this. I hold regular one-on-one meetings with everyone on my team, get into the details of their projects, and give ongoing feedback. This helps them improve their results in advance and refocus if something isn’t going as planned. Thanks to this approach, half of my team has been promoted over the last six months. I strongly believe that giving feedback continuously—not just at review time—results in more engaged and motivated employees.
Andrey Krasovitsky
Build transparent communication. If deadlines are shifting, a mistake has occurred, you’re starting to feel burned out, or something is bothering you—don’t be afraid to speak up. For managers, this is important to understand your level of comfort and professional development. For stakeholders, it helps them keep projects on track. For teammates, it creates a sense of support and mutual understanding. And for you, this kind of openness helps you avoid critical situations, receive valuable advice and support, and grow professionally as a result.
Let’s look at how to communicate with your manager and colleagues to avoid situations like these and successfully navigate your performance review.
Talk to Your Manager
1.Schedule a meeting to discuss your expectations for the upcoming review, along with your career and compensation goals. Be open about your ambitions—your manager might not be aware of them unless you speak up. Talk about where they can support you, and document any agreements.
2.Build a plan together for achieving those goals, define timelines and key milestones. This is the time to assess how realistic your goals are within the given time frame. It’s important to acknowledge that some goals might not be achievable right now—and that’s okay. There could be various reasons: maybe the analyst won’t have time to deliver a key project that would support a promotion, or maybe there are important skill gaps that need to be filled to reach the next level.
If your goals turn out to be unrealistic—but you’re willing to wait—create a longer-term plan.
If you’re not willing to wait—discuss why, and work together on possible solutions. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here; it depends on you, your manager, and your situation. The key is to reach mutual understanding and align on goals and how to get there.
In both cases, your manager can help estimate the time needed to achieve your objectives and assist in shaping an alternative plan if necessary.
3.Track progress on the plan by taking the lead in scheduling check-ins. Make these sessions as structured as possible. For example, at Avito, we use a competency matrix to identify focus areas and measure growth.
After each check-in, take notes and document agreements to make sure nothing gets missed. This approach makes your goals and responsibilities more transparent—for both you and your manager—so when the review comes around, there’s far less uncertainty.
Gather Feedback from Colleagues
You can try structuring these conversations, but in most cases, a more casual and open format leads to a more natural and honest dialogue.
Start by identifying a list of people you work closely with — especially those who may be asked to provide feedback on your performance during the next review cycle. Setting up these conversations might feel awkward at first, particularly if you're reaching out to more senior colleagues. But overcoming that discomfort brings real benefits: you strengthen working relationships, collect valuable insights for your review, and discover new areas for growth.
Keep in touch with these colleagues and ask for feedback from time to time. The key skill here is learning to accept constructive feedback. Hearing something you don’t agree with can sting—but it’s important not to argue, especially if that feedback comes from multiple people. Often, that kind of feedback is the most valuable.
Take time to reflect on why you received those comments and what you can do to improve the situation.
We also recommend keeping a running list of all the tasks and projects you've worked on during the current review cycle. It’s easy to overlook how much you’ve actually accomplished, and that can make it feel like you’re standing still while others are advancing.
But once you look back at everything you’ve done, it becomes clear that you’re growing too. That list won’t just help during your review—it’ll also boost your confidence and remind you of your professional achievements.
Well-being
In this section, we’ll talk about how to avoid burnout and work in a way that supports your physical and mental health.
Your health—both physical and emotional—should always come first. Constant stress, lack of sleep, and ignoring your body’s warning signs inevitably lead to serious consequences. No matter how important your job may seem, it’s never more important than your well-being.
Andrey Krasovitsky
There’s a common stereotype that consultants at McKinsey have no work-life balance. I can say that’s not always true—it really depends on the project. But I won’t pretend that tough projects don’t exist. I worked on one of them myself.The deadlines were so tight that we worked without weekends and slept just 3–5 hours a night. The last month felt like Groundhog Day—work from morning till night, a short sleep, then repeat. Eventually, the exhaustion caught up with me—one evening, I felt unwell and had to step away from work for a week.That experience had a serious impact on my health and forced me to reevaluate my priorities. Since then, I’ve paid much more attention to maintaining work-life balance and structuring my work in a way that protects my comfort and energy.
Tip 1: Create Comfortable Working Conditions
A comfortable work experience starts with understanding what’s making you uncomfortable. It could be task overload, poor communication with colleagues, weekend messages in team chats, or excessive bureaucracy. The key is not just to notice these issues, but to actively look for ways to solve them—instead of simply complaining.
How to improve the situation:
- Talk to your manager. If you’re running into problems or feeling dissatisfied, suggest holding a retro or bring it up in a team meeting. If it’s a broader issue, consider forming an initiative group to improve processes. For example, at Avito, we have functional projects where employees from different teams work together to improve internal workflows.
- Manage your workload. Be realistic about how much time a task will take and adjust deadlines as you go. If you’re falling behind, let your colleagues know instead of sacrificing personal time. To protect your boundaries, block out time for non-work activities—like meeting friends or taking a class after hours. This helps prevent overwork.
Managing your time effectively allows you to stay productive without burning out.
Watch for signs of burnout and respond early. If you notice symptoms of burnout, there are three main paths you can take:
1.Talk to your manager about how you’re feeling and try to change your current conditions, as described above.
2.Take a break or vacation to reset. People often forget that rest is a necessary part of work.
3.Consider switching roles or teams. If change doesn’t seem possible or your current team isn’t a fit, it might be time to look for something new. You can start searching while still in your current position.
Don’t be afraid of transitions—a new job can bring fresh knowledge and valuable experience.
Tip 2: Change Your Perspective on Work
To reduce stress and discomfort, it’s not enough to just create a comfortable environment—you also need to rethink how you view your work. Here are a few simple mindset shifts that can help you deal with challenges and pressure more effectively.
Remember this principle:
“You don’t know anything—and neither does anyone else.”
One of the biggest challenges early in your career is imposter syndrome. It can feel like everyone around you is a true expert, handling every task with ease—while you feel like you know nothing. We once came across an article that helped reframe this mindset. It suggested embracing two key ideas:
1.You don’t know anything.
2.Other people don’t know anything either.
What does this mean in practice?
The first point reminds us that there will always be people who know more than you—and that’s not a reason to feel insecure, but an opportunity to learn. Get used to questioning your own ideas, double-checking your assumptions, and listening to others—even those with less experience. In fact, exchanging ideas with people who think differently can be especially valuable.
When someone has been in a role for a long time, they tend to rely on familiar patterns and approaches—which can narrow their range of possible solutions.
Meanwhile, less experienced people aren’t boxed in by past solutions, and that gives them a creative edge. They’re often more open to proposing fresh, unconventional ideas.
The second point is a reminder that even the most experienced professionals don’t know everything—and they make mistakes too. You shouldn’t follow someone’s ideas just because of their title or authority. It’s okay to question and challenge what you hear.
One way to build this habit is to listen carefully to colleagues in senior positions and mentally analyze their suggestions. Then, when appropriate, start raising your questions or disagreements out loud. Over time, you’ll realize there’s nothing scary about it.
This practice benefits the entire team. It helps you build confidence and deepen your understanding of the work.
💡Eventually, you’ll start to see that no one is immune to mistakes—and your ability to think critically and stay curious is what helps you move past imposter syndrome and grow professionally.
Tip 3: Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
Mistakes are a normal part of the job—especially when working on complex calculations, research, or tasks with an unclear context. One mistake won’t make anyone think you’re less competent. What matters is how you respond to it. Here are a few tips:
Stay calm. Assess the scope of the mistake, its consequences, possible solutions, and how much time you’ll need to fix it. If someone asks for an immediate answer and you’re not ready, it’s better to ask for time to analyze the situation than to give a random or rushed response.
If you discover the mistake yourself, it’s best to come forward with a plan—or at least a suggestion—for how to fix it. This approach will reduce any negative reaction and help you feel more in control of the situation.
Reflect on what caused the mistake. Be honest with yourself: Did you misinterpret the task? Did you fail to ask enough clarifying questions at the beginning? Understanding the root cause will help you identify areas where you need to grow—and allow you to focus on developing those specific skills.
By gradually working on these aspects, you’ll become a more confident and skilled analyst.
Andrey Krasovitsky
The most important lesson I’ve learned as an analyst is this: work is just one part of life. Make time for yourself, your family, your friends, your hobbies, and the things that interest you. When you step away from work, it not only helps reduce stress—it also gives you a fresh perspective. You might spot new ideas or catch mistakes you previously missed. Take care of your physical and emotional well-being. Value your health, and don’t let work consume all your time. Don’t wait for a breaking point to realize this truth.
In Summary
We hope this article helped you look at the analyst’s role from a different angle. Here are three key takeaways you can start applying right away:
👉 Build communication based on mutual understanding.
Regularly clarify expectations with stakeholders and teammates to avoid misunderstandings and improve collaboration. Transparency builds trust and prevents conflict.
👉 Learn to prioritize tasks.
Before picking up a new task, ask yourself: “What will change if I do this?” This question will help you focus on meaningful initiatives and manage your time more effectively.
👉 Don’t forget about yourself.
Overload and burnout affect not only your health but also your productivity. If you feel burnout creeping in, talk to your manager, rethink your work approach, or take a break to reset.
These practices will help you handle your current workload more effectively and grow in your career.
In this part, we focused on communication and well-being. In the second part, we’ll cover how to approach tasks efficiently and develop your professional skills.
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