100-day checklists: Do they work for a data leader?

The myth of the #100-day checklist for the #dataleader

If you are in a new #CDO role or leading data, this is critical.

Someone asked me yesterday, “Why don’t you write a 100-day checklist for a data leader / CDO?”…

I said that it cannot be done and will be a meaningless exercise.

Why?

We need to separate data work from data leadership.

Data work includes all the process-related, gathering, management, and technical side of managing data initiatives.

Data leadership is impossible to be distilled down to a checklist, as every data leader inherits a unique situation filled with opportunities and challenges.

Early on in each of these role transitions, what must be done depends on several factors, incl. The leader’s business/functional/technical capabilities are not limited to the new hire in internal/external, talent, churn and cohesiveness within the team, company’s problems/expectations, sponsorship levels with data/analytics, etc…

Setting up for success depends a lot on what you do early on – starting with the 100 days and 3/6/12 months, but your situation is unique to yourself.