The Friday Recap: Data and your Family

 


All week we have been diving deep into data strategies and how we can laser focus our organizations with them.  Making faster decisions, looking to know our customers, being able to adapt with our markets or braving new roads we have the tools to move forward....in business.  But Friday is always when we apply what we learn to ourselves.

Tell me, how well do you know your family or friends past their name or address?  In this disconnected world wouldn't it be nice to know them better?  How can we execute the principals we have learned in our personal lives this weekend?

Just like in the office your goal revolves around data. Here are some ways to use data to learn more about your family:

  • Gather data: The first step is to gather data about your family. This could include things like their birthdays, interests, hobbies, and family history. You can gather this data by talking to your family members, looking at old photos and documents, or using online resources.
  • Analyze the data: Once you have gathered data, you need to analyze it to find patterns and trends. This could involve looking for things like common interests, shared experiences, or family heirlooms.
  • Use the data to connect with your family: Once you have analyzed the data, you can use it to connect with your family in new ways. You could plan a family reunion based on shared interests, create a family tree, or start a family newsletter.

A business has to get creative to find out more about their customers. You may find yourself in the same situation. There are many different ways to get what you need. For example, you might collect data about your family's interests by asking them about their hobbies, reading old letters and journals, or looking at family photos. You could then analyze this data to find patterns and trends. You might find that your family is interested in a particular historical event or that they have a tradition of traveling to a certain place every summer. This information could then be used to start conversations with your family members and learn more about their lives.

Using data to learn more about your family can be a great way to connect with them and build stronger relationships. It can also help you learn more about your family history and heritage. So next time you're looking for a way to connect with your family, consider using data to your advantage.

As a note of caution please remember that data is powerful. Here are some ways you can gather and use this data without becoming the black sheep of the family:

  • Be respectful of your family members' privacy. Only collect data that they are comfortable sharing with you.  We are not trying to be the FBI or CIA here.  Do not go overboard.
  • No Judgment.  Use the data to learn more about your family, not to judge them.
  • Be open to what you learn. You might be surprised by what you find.
  • Have fun! Learning about your family can be a rewarding experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Data Strategy: Guiding Principles

Image
  It has been a long time since my last post, and a lot of things have changed.  I have a new job, I have moved to the other side of the state, and I even have a new dog.  But one thing that has stayed with me is my focus on data and how much potential it has.  All of this change has also solidified my understanding of why a data strategy is critical to any success in the data world.  Without a strategy, your effort will be as useless as trying to strike the wind.  You have to be able to aim your blows if you intend to hit anything.  In our case, we want to "hit" that business objective, the one thing that the business must have to progress to the next phase in its development.   The thing I have come to understand is that when the term "Data Strategy" is used, most people in management jump right to the end and focus on things like cost or "vendor lock-in".  Some people in management focus so much on what they perceive the outcome will ...
Read more

Data Principles: The Power of Naming Standards

Image
In my last blog, I highlighted five data principles that I have used in the past to create a solid data strategy.  The idea behind a principle is that it is flexible to adjust to changing needs but rigid enough to maintain order.   A good example of this is the golden rule, "do unto others as you would have them do to you".  When you apply this principle, you are free to do whatever you want, as long as it is something you want done to yourself.  It is a very flexible principle that can have serious consequences if broken.   One crucial principle that forms a solid foundation for your data initiatives is  naming standards . It might seem like a simple concept, but consistent naming conventions throughout your data environment can significantly impact efficiency, governance, and understanding for everyone involved.  With the right naming standards, looking into the data environment as a DBA, developer, or user, there will be no question about ...
Read more

Data Governance: Check and Check Again

Image
We are progressing in our data governance by building out the framework.  We are moving data into areas that the business can use it but how do we know they should use it?  More importantly how do they know that they CAN use it? So much of what we do relies on trust.  The business trust that we will understand what they need so that we can deliver reliable data.  The first time they find an issue that trust is broken.  Part of our framework builds out data validation processes but how do we put that into practice? One of the first things we will need to do is check ourselves. Y our data governance framework can be used to create natural data quality checkpoints. Is your data pipeline ready to migrate? Did you check it? When your process captured the requirements did you ask who in the business would validate the work? Your processes are the first place to start checking your data. Some specific examples of how you can use your data governance framework to cr...
Read more