As we start the new year, it is a good chance for us to take a step back and re-think how we are approaching our data culture. How are we improving data trust? Are we being intentional about our data communications? Are we supported by senior leadership?
Every organization has a data culture: the organizational processes and social norms surrounding the production, use, and consumption of data. However, these norms may not currently be what you want them to be. People may be distrustful or confused when interacting with data, or even refuse to use it altogether.
Without a concerted effort, data culture can easily fall to the wayside and not be a priority; however, that almost always leads to poorer data outcomes. With some regular commitment, good data communication, and outreach habits, we can slowly and steadily improve data culture across the organization.
Below is a 12-month plan for how to renew and refresh your data culture. This can be for new data leaders joining an organization, teams that are just starting to think about data culture, or organizations that are looking to improve their current practices.
Data culture change does not happen overnight. The Data Culture Timeline provides a 12-month roadmap for re-thinking how you are approaching your data culture and be a starting point for data culture change. However, even once your data culture has improved, it is important to continue these good practices and put in systems that encourage data community. Data culture is a continuous project, but with consistency and strong leadership it can be one of your organizations greatest data assets.
The Data Culture Timeline
| Month | Goal | Tasks | Stakeholders |
| 1 | Orientation | Understand and catalogue data assets (data sources, pipelines, dashboards, lakes etc.) & usage | Data Team Analysts Decision makers |
| 2 | Continue Orientation | Data Team Analysts Decision makers | |
| Preparation for Building Data Trust | Conduct listening tour (understand issues and identify opportunities) Document findings | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Stakeholder Executives | |
| 3 | Get Executive buy-in | Prepare for presentation Present to executive leadership on Data Culture Initiative Encourage open conversations about Data Culture | Executive Team Data Team |
| Create Data Communications Strategy | Understand company communication channels Learn about communication needs & gaps Develop Communications Strategy Create templates for regular updates and communications | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts | |
| Create Data Education Strategy | Conduct analysis on gap between current data usage and desired data usage Understand education avenues in the organization Understand groups of stakeholders and what each needs to be educated on | Data Team | |
| 4 | Continue Create Data Communications Strategy | ||
| Continue Create Data Education Strategy | Begin creating data education assets (PowerPoints, hands-on datasets, sandbox environments, etc.) Create meeting times for in-person education | Data Team | |
| 1st Roll out Data Communications Strategy | Communicate about data news: Who is the Data Team? What do we do? What changes are coming? | Analysts Data Leadership | |
| Foster Data Community | Prepare and hold a Data Meet and Greet | Analysts & anyone interested in learning more about data | |
| 5 | Refresh Data Charter | Update data charter to reflect goals of the team, both cultural and strategic | Data Team |
| 2nd Roll out Data Communications Strategy | Communicate about Data Changes: New data, known bugs/outages (ongoing) | Data Leadership | |
| Roll out Data Education Strategy | Begin meeting with Data Stakeholders about Data Basics | Data Team Data Stakeholders | |
| Foster Data Community | Initiate Office Hours: Create a space for Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) | |
| 6 | Define roles and responsibilities for the Data Team | Re-define roles and responsibilities if needed | Data Team |
| Celebrate Data Team Achievements | Communicate recent developments and data gains to stakeholders | Data Team | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Identify Key Data Allies across the organization Discuss possible opportunities to be more involved with Data Discuss expectations and incentives with them and managers | Data Allies Data Team | |
| Foster Data Community | Hold Office Hours: Create a space for Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) | |
| Foster Data Community | Launch Data Brown Bag Lunch: Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Roll out Data Education Strategy | Begin meeting with Data Stakeholders about Data Intermediate Skills Discuss with Data Allies how to support Data Education on their teams | Data Team Data Stakeholders | |
| 7 | Foster Data Community | Hold Office Hours: Create a space for the Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) |
| Foster Data Community | Data Brown Bag Lunch: Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Prepare and hold a meeting for Data Allies and Data Team— Meet and Greet | Data Allies Data Team | |
| Clarify data responsibilities across the organization | Write data responsibilities for each team Know who to go to if they have data questions | Everyone! Especially data team and data allies | |
| Roll out Data Education Strategy | Begin meeting with Data Stakeholders about Data Advanced Skills Support Data Allies with team specific Data Education | Data Team Data Stakeholders | |
| 8 | Foster Data Community | Hold Office Hours: Create a space for the Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) |
| Foster Data Community | Data Brown Bag Lunch: Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Hold meeting for Data Allies and the Data Team Define Governance Structure | Data Allies Data Team | |
| Roll out Data Education Strategy | Ensure Data Education is embedded in onboarding and regular training processes | Data Team | |
| Celebrate Data Team Achievements | Communicate recent developments and data gains to stakeholders | Data Leadership | |
| 9 | Building Data Trust & Community | Presentation for the executive team on Data Culture – What it is and how to foster it? What we have done so far to foster it? | Executive Team |
| Foster Data Community | Hold Office Hours: Create a space for the Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) | |
| Foster Data Community | Data Brown Bag Lunch: Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Prepare and hold meeting for Data Allies and Data Team— Governance and Metrics Discussions | Data Allies Data Team | |
| 10 | Re-Launch Data to the entire org | Make a presentation to the organization demonstrating new data capabilities and dashboards Make announcements on communication channels Visit stakeholder teams to talk about new initiatives | Everyone! Especially data team and data allies |
| Educate Stakeholder teams about data culture and responsible data use | Visit stakeholder teams to talk about data culture and responsible data use | Data Stakeholders Data Allies Data Team | |
| Foster Data Community | Hold Office Hours: Create a space for the Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) | |
| Foster Data Community | [HIGH VISIBILITY] Data Brown Bag Lunch: Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike Ensure high engagement because of Re-launched data | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Prepare and hold meeting for Data Allies and Data Team— Governance and Metrics Discussions | Data Allies Data Team | |
| 11 | Celebrate data team achievements | Create communications about data team achievements for the organization | Data Leadership |
| Continue Data Office Hours | Create a space for the Data Team to answer questions on data input, interpretation, and culture | Representative from Data Team (Data or Business Intelligence Specialist) | |
| Continue Data Brown Bag Lunch | Create a space for data people to share their knowledge with data and non-data people alike | Data Team Stakeholder Analysts Anyone else who is interested | |
| Build Data Center of Excellence | Hold meeting for Data Allies and Data Team— Governance and Metrics Discussions | Data Allies Data Team | |
| Build Data Trust | Monitor and Maintain systems, foster interest in data team activities | Data Allies Data Team | |
| 12 | 2023 Retrospective & Celebration | Internal celebration of wins | Data Leadership |
| Planning for how to maintain and improve Data Culture | Hold meeting for Data Allies and Data Team— What is happening on their teams? What governance should we enforce? | Data Allies Data Team |
