Rage Against The Machine
[5 min Read] Ever wonder why progress in data and analytics feels so elusive? Like there is force actively working to sabotage your efforts? Every good story has a villain and ours is a character I call “The Machine.” The Machine is the Villain All organizations have a mechanized quality, and data and analytical […]
How to Value Data as an Asset
[3 min Read] If a bank were to value the assets of your company, what hard number would they place on your data and analytical operations? What is the Hard Number? I’ve spent years thinking about (and designing) “Data as an Asset.” And things get very real when a company is being sold or […]
How to Start a (Data) Cultural Revolution
[5 min read] Many companies wax poetic about data democracy over beer, secretly crave a data czar to make decisions, and essentially operate as an oligarchic, all-you-can-eat buffet. Don’t Start with Democracy One aspect of culture is the system of government a society employs. And a big mistake of Data Leaders is to assume that […]
How To Find Your Cowboy Hat
[7 min read] Authenticity is a key ingredient. But how do we determine what feels right in a world brimming with alternatives? In Santa Fe, I discovered that there are many opportunities to buy many kinds of well-crafted cowboy hats. And after a healthy plate of enchiladas “Christmas style” (with red and green chiles), returning […]
How to Keep an Idea from Fading Away
[3 min read] Taking a moment to write down the embers of an idea, and returning to it within a day, can make the difference between slowly roasting and going up in flames. “I have all the ideas…I just seem to lose them before I can write them down. I’m getting the kids ready for […]
How to Escape the Specter of Writer’s Block
[6 min read] Overcome writer’s block and combat the demoralizing influence of Specter by reframing your internal dialogue, advocating for the gift of creative time without the constraints of “grades” or structures. Unlearn What You Have Learned… “I have all the ideas…and I’ve started working on outlines and structure. I haven’t written anything quite yet, […]
The Win
[7 min read] The difference between a successful digital strategy and a functional data product is the long tail of new relationships. The win sometimes lands with a sense of quiet inevitability. Like when you stop raking your fingers through a box of puzzle pieces because you feel you’ve found The One, and your glance […]
Pinball
[3 min read] Pinball is a journey, a collection of puzzles bound by the rules of physics. Portable AC, the kind you might find in a subway station in late July, created pockets of cool relief in the large hotel ballroom hosting the Pintastic Pinball Conference. The box office was flanked by tables of merchandise […]
Wandering: The Essential Guide to Cultural Change
[5 min read] Shaping a corporate culture is a huge challenge. Creating the opportunity to wander is a potent ingredient for change. I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to the West coast, somehow managing to avoid tornadic thunderstorms at home, wildfires choking the skies of Portland and, in a move that even Indiana Jones […]