Data Culture: The Context for Successful Data Projects
Data Culture: The Context for Successful Data Projects
For a data project to really take off, a culture of empowerment and accountability must exist within your organization. You can build the most perfect dashboard in the world, but if nobody trusts the data or uses it to change their behavior, the ROI is zero.
The Edge of Chaos
In my experience, the most successful companies find a balance between chaos (total freedom with data) and rigidity (over-governed data that nobody can access). This is often called “the edge of chaos.”
Accountability Starts at the Top
A data-driven culture isn’t something that is “installed” by IT. It starts when the COO and CFO stop accepting reports that don’t match and start asking, “What does the Single Source of Truth say?”
Transferable Skills
Interestingly, I often compare the mindset needed for data innovation to surfing. You can’t stop the waves (the constant flow of new data and tech), but you can learn to surf them. It requires balance, timing, and a willingness to wipe out and try again.