Who's Going to Do That?

If you work on something part time, you get part time results

I see a problem with the narrative around new technology and capabilities. While we discuss AI (however you define it) and the modern data stack (if it isn’t dead yet), we also see many companies going through layoffs. This means that companies are tightening their purse strings in this economy. However, we still hear about AI strategy and companies asking for their data teams to find opportunities for AI in the company.

Whenever I hear about a new project or new capability, I have a single question: “Who’s going to do that?” If someone in your company is talking about AI and wants the team to work on AI, recognize that this comes at the expense of someone else. Also, consider an organization with no plans to add to its workforce. They want more output from the same people. That’s not an easy thing to do.

Early lessons about project resources

I’m big into data modeling. Once upon a time, I lobbied for our team to pay $10,000 for data modeling software because I thought it would be good for our team to use it to improve model quality. However, I was a young leader and forgot an important point. I didn’t consider that tools just don’t work by themselves. Someone has to use the tool and implement it. After we got the tool, I assumed the team would start using it independently. Surely, they understood the vision I didn’t provide them, right? Well, they didn’t, and no one used it. Not only do you have to understand who is going to work on something, but you also have to make sure that person knows they have to work on it.

Buyers and signors of the software aren’t the ones who will implement it

Data catalogs are notoriously bad at this. Data teams talk about cataloging their data assets, metadata, and business glossary. But there’s just one problem: Someone has to work on that. Who’s it going to be? Who is going to implement the catalog? Who is going to fill out the business definitions? If you don’t have a dedicated resource to lead this work, it will not happen. Even if it’s just one person, there is only so much they can do. What about putting someone on it as a side hustle? Well, if you put someone on a project part-time, you will get part-time results. It is going to take a long time to get things done.

Data team’s approach to business availability

This also happens when we work with business stakeholders. We talk about giving the business access to data. If someone has five dashboards, what do you expect them to do with it? If you provide them with a sixth dashboard, what do they do with the other five they have? Do they have time to use it? How will they be trained? The questions are endless.

Before you start working on the subsequent request for data, understand who from the business will use that data.

Priorities have to be shifted

With limited resources, tough conversations need to happen. If you want to work on exciting new projects with the existing team you have, something has to give.

Your team members aren’t dumb. They recognize when they’re being asked to do more. Here’s what they are thinking. Where’s the promotion? Where’s the money? What’s coming off my plate to work on this?

As a leader, I have many responsibilities. Of those, I have to provide a vision of where the team is going and remind the team why we exist and what purpose we serve for the company. I also have to be clear about priorities, what is essential, and what needs to be worked on. Given that, I have to identify who on the team will be responsible for working on tasks and delivering projects.

Every new and exciting idea you want to try should be met with some realism about how it will grow and expand over time. Without this, you’re actually doing your team a disservice by giving them more stuff to do without any support. Or, you’re leaving projects half-done and fully achieving what you promised to your stakeholders.

This is also a time to learn how your company talks about growing its workforce and approving new headcount. If this only happens once a year, you may want to organize your new initiatives around when you can request and approve a new headcount. The focus should be on describing the benefit of the initiative (why anyone should care about it) and how this new person would help drive it. Also, consider if you get approved to hire someone, you probably have at least 6 months to get through the interviewing, hiring, and onboarding process just to get a person ready to work on it.