Josh Jennings

Data is changing. As is the tech it relies on. Keeping yourself updated with industry and technology trends will maintain your credibility, demonstrating that you are adaptable to changing environments. If you're a consultant, always be on the lookout for new opportunities, but don't spread your wings too far. Keep a tight community of customers so that your valuable time is maximised. While you must keep up with trends, work with people who are doing the same and want to make positive changes. There's nothing better than collectively working towards the same goal!

One of the best forms of communication is to ask plenty of questions. Be inquisitive! You want to show that you share a genuine interest in the success of the work you're carrying out and, as a professional in data, asking loads of open questions will generate answers different to the expected, helping you get the bigger picture. As you're getting those answers, share them with your customers, colleagues and stakeholders. They are just as eager to know as you are! Active listening plays a crucial part here too. Asking on-topic or on-trend questions builds trust and credibility. Then follow up regularly. There's never a useless update!

Once you've gained experience in your dedicated field and industry, you can start to build a network of potential customers. Insurance is heavily driven by relationships and who you know on your doorstep. Gaining an expert understanding of how this industry operates and manages data means you can share relevant success stories to demonstrate your value to the market. Also, people buy from people. It truly matters how you communicate when working with stakeholders, these people will speak highly of you! Finally, if other leaders in the industry see what you are doing with their competitors, they will want the same done and ask for your help having seen how successful you are!

Now that you're a specialist in your niche and your industry, now it's about learning how your stakeholders operate and what they want from you. This part is straightforward; listen and be proactive. When you're getting to know your stakeholders and listening to their needs and pain points, you'll have a clear picture of what needs to be done, why it needs to be done, and when. This will help you understand how you can deliver the most value across the organisation. But it doesn't stop there. Continue to listen to your stakeholders and customers actively, and always seek to proactively provide solutions to problems.

Data Governance is certainly a broad subject and is approached by organisations differently too. Is DG to you a form of compliance and GDPR? Or is it, as it should be, Data Quality and Management? Either way, you need to understand the end-to-end story that data tells you, where it comes from and where it's heading. Then you can begin to apply levels of quality control, practices, and pipelines. Additionally, every industry has it's own way of managing data. Talking from the perspective of the heavily regulated world of insurance, data quality is critical to the successful running of any insurance business. So, become a specialist in an industry and a data vertical. Your work and advise will become more credible.

Such an important piece of the puzzle! AI has developed into some amazing tools and technologies over the years and has become more accessible than ever, meaning that it's easy to fall into the automation trap. I mentioned above about building a personal brand. There's so much to it but ultimately, is about getting out there, online and in person, and being human! After all, people buy from people and the best way to build rapport is to inject your passion and personality into what you do.