Four Seasons of A Data Team
In Michigan, we are turning the corner from fall to winter and our beautiful fall leaves have left the branches and covered everything in sight. I've been busy the last few weeks with a variety of outdoor tasks in preparation for winter.
Between raking an excessive amount of leaves, cleaning up door toys and projects, and pulling the ice melt and snow shovel out from hiding, I’ve been thinking about changing seasons. I love living in a part of the country that experiences all four seasons of the year in bold intensity. Each season offers a different rhythm, wardrobe, activities, pace of work, family experiences, and foods. Each has distinct memories and stirs a rainbow of emotions.
A data team goes through similar seasons.
Although a team likely won’t experience each of these seasons in one calendar year. The seasons could last for several months or even years. But identifying the phases you walk through, where you are right now, and where you are headed in the next few months focuses your attention.
Spring: This season is marked by new. New builds, new team members, new tools implemented, new data system, new leadership. Teams in this season will find themselves experiencing surprisingly warm days, followed by days of bitter cold, while slowly marching toward the new growth of spring flowers, green grass, and sunshine.
Summer: A season of adventure, exploration, and rewarding experiences. The newness that began to take root in the spring is reaching maturity and the benefits are being realized. The new technical tool is paying dividends. The new leadership has found stability, built trust with the team, and is seeing the results of the new vision and process in place.
Fall: A season of pruning, cutting back, and harvesting. The team in a “fall season” might be retiring legacy tools, reducing team size, or deprecating an on-prem system. Just as a tree shedding its leaves in the fall is part of a natural and healthy pattern, it's the same for a data team. Old is being set aside and, for the moment, nothing new is taking its place.
Winter: A season of maintenance and survival. Due to being short-staffed, limited budget, or organizational challenges, new initiatives are on pause. The team moves focuses on “keeping the lights on”. The team feels an overall lack of clarity about what’s next, what the new priorities will be or how long winter will last. Initially, it can feel like a respite, but over time, everyone begins to long for spring.
These seasons might last for weeks, months, or even years. They naturally follow each other in this order.
Where is your team at right now?
Where are you headed?
Sawyer
from The Data Shop
