You’re trying to impress your boss with data. How do you know which numbers matter most?

You’re trying to impress your boss with data. How do you know which numbers matter most? Data governance can help you answer that question. Data governance is the process of defining, managing, and ensuring the quality and integrity of your data. It helps you align your data with your business goals, strategies, and policies. In this article, you’ll learn how to use data governance principles to choose and present the right data to your boss.

1 Understand your boss’s needs

The first step to impress your boss with data is to understand what they want to know, why they want to know it, and how they want to see it. Ask them about their objectives, expectations, and preferences. What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that they care about? What are the challenges or opportunities that they face? How do they like to consume data? Do they prefer charts, tables, dashboards, or reports? Do they want high-level summaries or detailed breakdowns? By knowing your boss’s needs, you can select and prioritize the data that matters most to them.

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.Reza Inglis

Creating tangible business value using emerging technologies & data insights | AI | Data Science | Advanced Data Analytics | Data Analysis | Data Engineering | AI | SQL | Python | PowerBI | 9 x Azure certified
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I believe the first step is to clearly understand your manager's/boss requirements. Also, have an understanding of their preference for consuming information. If they prefer the concise & direct approach structure your delivery so that they stay engaged when the consume the data. I also believe to explain and keep things as simple. This will help you sell your work to them.

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2 Choose relevant and reliable data sources

The next step is to choose the data sources that can provide the information that your boss needs. Data sources are the systems, databases, files, or applications that store and generate data. You need to ensure that the data sources are relevant, reliable, and consistent. Relevance means that the data sources are aligned with your boss’s goals and context. Reliability means that the data sources are accurate, complete, and timely. Consistency means that the data sources follow the same definitions, standards, and formats. You can use data governance tools and frameworks to assess and document the quality and characteristics of your data sources.

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3 Analyze and interpret the data

Once you have chosen the data sources, you need to analyze and interpret the data. Analysis is the process of applying methods, techniques, and tools to manipulate, transform, and explore the data. Interpretation is the process of extracting insights, patterns, and trends from the data. You need to use both skills to find the answers, solutions, or recommendations that your boss is looking for. You can use data governance best practices to ensure that your analysis and interpretation are valid, transparent, and ethical.

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4 Visualize and communicate the data

The final step is to visualize and communicate the data. Visualization is the process of creating charts, graphs, maps, or other visual elements to display the data. Communication is the process of presenting, explaining, and convincing your boss about the data. You need to use both skills to make the data clear, compelling, and actionable. You can use data governance principles to ensure that your visualization and communication are consistent, relevant, and trustworthy.

By following these steps, you can impress your boss with data. Data governance can help you choose and present the data that matters most to your boss. It can also help you improve the quality, integrity, and value of your data. How do you use data governance to impress your boss with data? Share your tips and experiences in the comments.

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5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Chiran Kumar Pola

Senior Manager - Data Operations | IIM - AIML | DAMA - CDMP | CSPO | CSM | Data Governance & Stewardship | AI Governance - Responsible AI | Data Vendors Management |
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To impress my boss with data, I focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with organizational goals. I identify strategic objectives and select KPIs like sales revenue or customer retention rate that directly measure progress. I consider context and industry benchmarks for relevance. Presenting concise, visually appealing data visualizations helps highlight insights effectively. Regularly updating and refining metrics ensures ongoing relevance and impact.

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You’re trying to impress your boss with data. How do you know which numbers matter most?

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2

3

4

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1 Understand your boss’s needs

2 Choose relevant and reliable data sources

3 Analyze and interpret the data

4 Visualize and communicate the data

5 Here’s what else to consider

Data Governance

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You’re trying to impress your boss with data. How do you know which numbers matter most?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Understand your boss’s needs

2 Choose relevant and reliable data sources

3 Analyze and interpret the data

4 Visualize and communicate the data

5 Here’s what else to consider

Data Governance

Rate this article

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