Who is pacing this race?
The idea of having a more freeform machine co-worker with whom we can ask natural language questions and who can anticipate our needs is just starting. However, this requires a higher level of digital fluency for us to really find a groove with these machine-coworkers and not be overtaken by them. As I came up in my career, we were taught to “automate ourselves out of a job” to do the next thing. Our skills, desire for change, interest in the business, and work dictated the pace. Today, the pace of automation may not be dictated by us. There is a real risk of jobs going away before we have thought through the next set of problems to solve. If we cannot see around corners, we have not considered our upcoming transition.
Tips and Challenges
As we continue to drive data projects, familiar challenges begin to present themselves. By observing, we can become better diagnosticians of systemic issues. Learn what to avoid and how to navigate them better.
Countdown: Book Excerpt Chapter 4
People who work in data management are particularly dedicated problem solvers. They are committed to the mission in a way that makes them want to make the initiative successful. Most examples featured in the book reflect what happens in a specific type of data project -- a team-based project with stakeholders recruited from across the organization, including outside partnerships.
Countdown: Book Excerpt Chapter 2
While a fully funded budget that supports data as a service is an integral part of a data transformation’s financial picture, few are fully staffed or funded. Three-quarters of executives confirm their organization now has some form of data strategy (however rudimentary), but a paltry 16% say they have the skills and capabilities necessary to deliver it. Even though the average staffing budget is growing yearly, finding the skills and capabilities to execute data projects is becoming harder and harder.
Countdown: Book Excerpt Chapter 1
Data has traditionally been managed by a combination of information technology (IT), Operations, and Finance. Over the last ten to fifteen years, the chief data officer (CDO) role has come onto the executive scene. While not yet a universal title, the role of the CDO started by reporting through these functions and is beginning to be considered separate.