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Data Leadership Maturity Assessment

This is the Why?, who in your organisation is leading on everything data related and how clear is the messaging and ownership?

Let's get started on your journey, this is where the transformation starts, with a honest assessment of you, your leadership and your control of one of the biggest assets you own, your data.

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Question 1 of 10

Q1. On a scale of 'do we even talk about data?' to 'data is our superhero!', how much does the leadership team actively champion data as a key player in achieving your goals?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important: When leaders actively champion data, it signals that data is a strategic priority, encouraging everyone to value and use it.

 

Data culture and organisational literacy is driven by a strong vision for you data.  This is catagorically a Leadership responsibility.  Strong leaders empower their organisations to become data enabled, and empower individual and teams to innovate and deliver new capabilities.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Stronger alignment of data initiatives with business goals, increased investment in data capabilities, and a more data-aware culture.

A

Yes, they're big fans

B

Not really a focus right now

C

Not sure

Question 2 of 10

Q2. Imagine your business has a roadmap. Is there also a clear 'data roadmap' that everyone understands and that helps you get to your destination?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

A data strategy provides a clear and unambiguous direction to your organisation and ensures that data efforts are focused and contribute to the overall business strategy.  This helps to build trust in data and shape innovative data outcomes.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Reduced duplication of effort, better prioritisation of data projects, and a more cohesive approach to leveraging data.

A

Yep, we've got a data GPS!

B

Not really a formal one

C

Hmm, not sure if we do

Question 3 of 10

Q3. When it comes to making data initiatives happen, does the leadership team put their money where their mouth is with enough budget and resources?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

Enabling data requires investment, this does not mean large sums of money, but time, empowerment and support are critical investments in your organisation to deliver.

 

Adequate resources (time, money, people, technology) are essential to execute data strategies and achieve desired outcomes.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Successful implementation of data projects, faster progress in building data capabilities, and realisation of the value of data investments.

A

Absolutely, they invest in data

B

Resources can be a bit tight

C

Don't know about the budget side of things

Question 4 of 10

Q4. Is there a specific team or group who are the go-to people for all things data, with clear roles?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

A dedicated data team or clear responsibilities ensures accountability and expertise in managing and leveraging data.  When individuals or teams take responsibility and help to guide and support, this helps drive a data culture, helps to enable a data focussed organisation and simply, gives people the support they need to be confident in using data.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Improved data quality, more efficient data management processes, and a central point of contact for data-related needs.

A

Yes, we have our data champions

B

Not really a dedicated team

C

Not sure who handles that

Question 5 of 10

Q5. Does the leadership team take a step back every now and then to look at the 'data roadmap' and make sure it still makes sense?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

Regularly reviewing the data strategy ensures it remains aligned with evolving business needs and opportunities.  

 

Creating a core team that helps you define, analyse and build an ongoing strategic direction helps you to take the organisation with you on the journey, a critical component to successful data delivery comes from data champions, a quorum of data cheerleaders, and the feeling that your organisation is building a data future, not being told how to build one.

 

Potential outcomes of success: A more agile and responsive data strategy, better adaptation to changing market conditions, and sustained relevance of data initiatives.

A

Yes, it's regularly reviewed

B

Not that I'm aware of

C

Don't know

Question 6 of 10

Q6. How much of a priority is it to help everyone in the organisation understand and work better with data?

 

Why it's important:

 

Understanding how data is created and by who, how it is consumed, stored and managed helps non data literate members of your teams to truly understand the impact of data in their every day roles, and more importantly the value this data holds to them as employees of a successful data enabled organisation.

 

Data literacy empowers employees to make informed decisions and contribute to a data-driven culture.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Increased data fluency across the organisation, better use of data in daily work, and more informed decision-making at all levels.

A

It's definitely important here

B

Not a huge focus right now

C

Not sure if there are specific priorities when it comes to data

Question 7 of 10

Q7. Would you say there's a general feeling that using data to make decisions is a good thing around here?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

Culture is proven as a major contributing factor to a successful data enabled business, placing data at the centre of every day activities helps to drive new perspectives, open up new innovative insights and empower organisations through their employees, after all they are the driving force of any successful change.

 

A data-driven culture fosters a mindset where decisions are based on evidence rather than gut feeling, leading to better outcomes.

 

Potential outcomes of success: More objective decision-making, improved problem-solving, and a greater likelihood of achieving business objectives.

A

Definitely encouraged!

B

It varies

C

Not really talked about

Question 8 of 10

Q8. How well does leadership communicate why data matters and the value it brings to the organisation as a whole?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

Simple, unambiguous leadership styles are the most effective, research shows that a strong leadership vision and a jointly crafted strategy is more likely to be successful, this is driven by leaders who communicate effectively and regulalry.

 

Clear communication from leadership reinforces the importance of data and helps everyone understand its impact.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Greater buy-in for data initiatives, increased engagement with data-related activities, and a shared understanding of data's value.

A

They do a good job

B

Could be clearer

C

Not sure I've heard much about it

Question 9 of 10

Q9. When it comes to your data, how much emphasis is placed on making sure it's accurate and reliable?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

Data Quality is the undoing of most data initiatives, as the outputs are only as strong as the data that is used to create them.  When organisations understand where quality is poor this empowers them to make adjustments or transform data through qualitative initiatives that drive better outcomes.

 

High data quality ensures that insights and decisions are based on trustworthy information.

 

Potential outcomes of success: More reliable reporting and analytics, increased confidence in data-driven decisions, and reduced errors due to inaccurate data.

A

It's a high priority

B

It's not something we deal with

C

Not sure how much focus there is

Question 10 of 10

Q10. Does the leadership team actively support efforts to keep your data private and secure?

 

 

 

 

Why it's important:

 

Data privacy fines have been ramping up, with regulators cracking down on violations across industries. Some of the biggest penalties in recent years include:

 

  • Meta: $1.4 billion for biometric data violations and an additional $102 million for password mishandling.
  • LinkedIn: $336 million for GDPR violations.
  • Uber: $324 million for mismanaging driver data.
  • Marriott: $52 million settlement for a data breach.
  • Lehigh Valley Health Network: $65 million settlement for a healthcare data breach.
  • 23andMe: $30 million settlement for a genetic data leak.

 

GDPR fines alone have totalled approximately €5.88 billion by early 2025, with regulators expanding enforcement beyond big tech to finance, healthcare, and energy.

 

 

Prioritising data privacy and security builds trust with customers and ensures compliance with regulations.

 

Potential outcomes of success: Reduced risk of data breaches, enhanced customer trust, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

A

Yes, they're on it

B

I'm not sure security is really considered

C

No

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