Why Data Definitions Are Crucial - Getting Data Done with Christopher Chin

In each 'Getting Data Done' episode, I chat with real data people about a data challenge or opportunity they experienced, how they tackled it, and how it turned out. This time I chat with the wonderful Christopher Chin, who certainly knows a thing or two about how to communicate with data! That's because he's not only worked in the engine rooms of data analytics, but he now also uses his expertise in public speaking to coach tech professionals in how to present effectively. Ironically, I think I could do with some of Christopher's coaching! Far too much rambling from me in this episode! The data challenge that Christopher talks about here, is one about ensuring data definitions are standardised across different people and pillars of an organisation. Because if they're not, you can (or likely will) of course end up with different answers to the same question. It's a common challenge, but one that can be easily solved when an organisation gets everyone pulling in the same direction, as Christopher eloquently puts it - "the connection between tech and the business is so important!" Thanks Christopher for making this episode possible! Tap into Christopher's wisdom at: https://thehiddenspeaker.com Visit Truly Intelligent Business at https://trulyintelligent.business

4dDX is a strategic data capability framework which provides a blueprint for becoming truly data-driven, and not just data-busy! Data capabilities are the keys for unlocking data value, because if you don't have the right mix or strength of data capabilities to achieve your data-driven goals, then you'll just spin your wheels. Lots of energy and investment in - but little or no forward progress out. Which is... That's right, data-busy! 4dDX works by setting out a range of 21 data capabilities for becoming data-driven, both at a simple level so it's easy to understand and communicate, and at a detailed level so it's comprehensive enough to believe in and implement. You can use 4dDX as a framework for data strategy, for data capability development, and for assessing data capability maturity. And the great news is, it's FREE to access and use for non-commercial purposes. (It's distributed under a Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) ----------- Access 4dDX at https://4dDX.app Learn more about 4dDX and request your own FREE copy at https://4dDX.info Take a FREE trial of the data capability maturity assessment featured in this episode, at: https://datamaturity.info Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com Ep6 - Data Strategy Principles: https://youtu.be/89MG5RGm_2w Ep10 - A data-driven way to be be more data-driven: https://youtu.be/zBM0MnojrCk https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

In episode 9, I talked about three ways to define what data capabilities your business needs. But it's also important to know how much of each data capability your business needs. The key question is, "How strong do my data capabilities need to be?" Many businesses simply guess at that. Others don't even do that! Meaning they blindly invest more and more in their journey to becoming data-driven, without really knowing what the destination is or if they're on the right track. That's the opposite of data-driven, which we call data-busy!  In this episode I tell you how to avoid guesswork when implementing your data strategy, and instead take a data-driven approach to becoming data-driven - by analysing your data capability maturity so that you have a clear understanding of not just what your business needs to have and do, but also how much it needs to do it and how much of a capability gap needs to be closed. ----------- Ep7 - Being data-driven starts with this one crucial step: https://youtu.be/dctrZcP1EF0 Ep8 - How to set meaningful data goals: https://youtu.be/7-Abla6QUOg Ep9 - How to define data capabilities: https://youtu.be/OoQeZnpTymE Learn more about how to create the data capability maturity assessment featured in this episode: https://trulyintelligent.business/data-capability-maturity-assessment/ Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

In the previous episode, I talked about how to define your data goals based on the business goals they're meant to drive. I said that becoming truly data-driven is a matter of answering two key questions: 1 - How can data help us to achieve our business goals? 2 - What needs to be done to make that happen? In this episode I'll cover that second question. If you want to hear me talk about the first question, go and check out episode 8. So to know how to become data-driven, we need to focus on DATA CAPABILITIES. Because the simple answer to the question of "What do we need to do?", is "We need to have the right data capabilities, and we need to apply them in the right ways"... ----------- Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

Setting clear data goals is a surprisingly common challenge. It sounds like it should be easy, right? After all, so many people in the business are calling out for what sound like data goals, such as enhanced analytics or improved data services... But honing those kinds of high-level data wish-list requirements into specific and deliverable data goals, can prove tricky. That's simply because at the heart of this challenge lies two pretty chunky questions: 1 - How can data help us to achieve our business goals? 2 - What needs to be done to make that happen? This episode focuses on that first question - How can data help us to achieve our business goals? How can we make it easier to set solid data goals? ------------ Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep8 - How to set meaningful data goals: https://youtu.be/7-Abla6QUOg  https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

"We need to be more data-driven!" is something we hear almost every business say these days. But it's become a bit of of a throwaway catchphrase... A lot of businesses find it hard to actually become data-driven, not because they don't have the right skills or technology, but simply because they haven't properly understood what data-driven means for their particular business. To be truly data-driven you have to first know what data-driven really is, and then know how to get there... ------------ Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep1 - How to be data-driven and not just data-busy: https://youtu.be/CtozCihjgh Ep7 - Being data-driven starts with this one crucial step: https://youtu.be/dctrZcP1EF0 A https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

If you incorporate these key principles into your data strategy, then it’ll be much more likely that your data strategy will be read, supported, agreed and implemented - in ways that help your business to achieve its goals! There’s 12 principles, so let’s go! 1. The ultimate role of data, is to drive achievement of business goals. 2. Data drives business goals in just three ways. 3. Data must be stored in an optimised state, for it to be effective in achieving business goals. 4. The data journey from source systems to optimised data, must be streamlined to assure data RoI. 5. The very first step in the data journey, must be to eliminate data risks. 6. The next step in the data journey, is to acquire the right data to achieve business goals. 7. To optimise data, it must be quality controlled by applying data quality standards through robust data governance. 8. The data journey from data outputs to data consumers, must be streamlined to assure data RoI. 9. Data outputs are converted into high-value business outcomes, by arranging data services in a data operating model. 10. As well as governing the quality of data that flows in, it’s also crucial to govern the quality of information that flows out. 11. For data strategy to be implementable, it must translate into the data capabilities that the business must have or do. 12. For data strategy to be supportable, it must be both simple to understand and comprehensive enough to believe. ------------ If you'd like tools, templates, and support that will both accelerate and enhance your data strategy - enrol on the Data Strategy Masterclass, at https://trulyintelligent.business/data-strategy-masterclass/ To access and use the 4dDX framework, just visit https://4dDX.app Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep6 - Data Strategy Principles: https://youtu.be/89MG5RGm_2w https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

If you're a data leader, I'm sure you'd love a fast, simple, cheap, and effective way of making sure that all of the data insights in your business are relevant, actionable, and well-adopted. What if I told you that there's a way you can achieve precisely that, just by saying four simple words? Well, that's exactly what I DO tell you, in this episode! Those four words are KNOW, SO, NOW, and WHAT - and they come together in this catchy phrase... KNOW WHAT? SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? What you have to do, is get everyone in your business into the habit of uttering that phrase, every time there's discussion about data insights requirements. If you can do that, then you’ll not only greatly improve the effectiveness of your data insights, you’ll also diminish the the amount of useless information which saunters around the place. ------------ Read more about 'know what, so what, now what' thinking, at https://trulyintelligent.business/strategy/know-what-so-what-now-what/ To start using approaches like this in your business, visit https://go.trulyintelligent.business/insights Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep5 - Know What? So What? Now What?: https://youtu.be/BF5RByX5vWE https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/

If you're creating or updating your data strategy, then this one's for you! Like most things in life, there's a right way and many wrong ways to construct a data strategy. Thankfully, the recipe for a successful data strategy is quite straightforward... when you know how. In this episode, I'll share with you the 7 key ingredients of a data strategy which will not only impress and encourage at leadership levels, but also engage and motivate people throughout your business! To ultimately position data as a high-value asset, and drive the achievement of your business's overall goals. ------------ If you need help to follow this recipe, visit https://trulyintelligent.business/data-strategy-masterclass/ Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep4 - A recipe for data strategy success: https://youtu.be/A9a9-Jzc190 https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/ To access the 4dDX data strategy framework, visit https://go.trulyintelligent.business/4dDX

It's one of the oldest and stickiest data management problems - how to create reports and dashboards that are completely relevant, that people actually use, and create measurable business benefit? If your business is awash with analytics that are seldom used, and dashboards that are just downloaded to CSV, then this episode is for you! Let me introduce you to insights architecture... It's a way of tangibly mapping your business goals and processes to the KPIs, analytics, and reporting that drives them. When you have that map, you can use it to create data insights that are completely relevant and actionable, AND use it to show people why and how to use them - so that they actually DO. It's all about this simple phrase - KNOW WHAT? SO WHAT? NOW WHAT? What does our business need to know, what will that tell us, and what will we do about it? When you use insights architecture to solve that formula, the value of your data insights will skyrocket! ------------ Access the complete in-depth guide on how to create and implement an effective data strategy (one that makes you data-driven, not data-busy) at https://datastrategy.how Unlock the entire Data Strategy Management Toolkit by visiting https://datastrategytoolkit.com If you're creating a data strategy or building data capabilities, then you'll want to take a look at the 4dDX Data Strategy Framework! At https://4dDX.app Ep3 - How to build reports and dashboards that actually benefit your business: https://youtu.be/pV70SYMHRVQ https://trulyintelligent.business/how-to-build-a-data-strategy-data-driven/