Yikes! What can I say about 2025 except that it’s been life changing.
When you get to my age, sometimes you feel like there’s not much more to learn but guess what; that’s just not true. I am blessed that I am still learning.
Being by default a teacher, I have always been interested in the process of learning and trying to help people improve their knowledge and skills, their understanding and interest.
I am keen to hear how people are doing, where they are succeeding and where they face challenges, and to share what is working for me.
So, how has this year been for you, has it been a good one, or has it been a challenging year? For me it has been quite exciting. I travelled to Norway and Iceland and would you believe it, Greenland, and gained a different perspective of the world I live in. I saw real icebergs and they reminded me of the complexity of data. Data is something in which I have always had in interest.
Standing there in the Arctic, watching these vast ice formations, I realised that ignoring what lies beneath the surface is exactly what causes us problems. You can't navigate safely by only focusing on what's above the water. You need to grasp the full picture: the good, the bad, and the hidden, to truly master your environment.
Coincidentally, this year I also gained a different perspective at work. I have been involved in new tasks that use data with which I am not very comfortable. It has made me practice what I preach: to go back to basics, following the same advice I have been sharing with others, to ensure that this data and its environment are managed properly.
How has 2025 been for you?
As we approach the end of the year, in addition to how well has your 2025 gone, let me ask you a few data specific questions:
Have you tackled specific data initiatives?
Have you established useful data forums?
Have you, or your organisation, acquired new data skills?
Overall, are you satisfied with your data? Does your data meet your needs? Is it available when & how you need it? Is it of good quality? Can it support your future business requirements?
Most of the people I have asked have not been able to answer positively. Considering this, I looked back on the year to see what we had tried to teach people.
Looking back on 2025
We began the year focusing on returning to basics, then moved on to enhancing Data Quality and decreasing Data Debt – all essential priorities.
Next, we focused on how to develop Data Stewards and Data Owners, and how to position these roles for the future.
We discussed how the role is likely to evolve, or not, as we adopt Artificial Intelligence. We ended the year exploring ways to get more from training, proposing a revised approach that delivers more, particularly in challenging times.
Looking back to go forward
Overall, we covered quite a lot in what has been an interesting year. I certainly found ‘back to basics’ to be an excellent reminder that what seems simple and obvious holds great value.
Often, we overlook the basic truths of data and the fundamental things we need to do.
Getting back to basics - understanding each other
My role as a trainer mainly involves understanding. Understanding what people want to know versus what they need to know and balancing the two, so I meet expectations. Therefore, I spend time ensuring my language is suitable for the audience and continually evaluate their understanding.
Does your organisation speak a common language when dealing with data?
How well do you all understand the fundamentals, terms, and concepts?
How effectively do people communicate? Do they always understand each other?
Let's flip these questions:
How frequently do you misunderstand each other when working with data?
How frequently do communication issues influence results?
Is Data Literacy a competency that your organisation has mastered?
Data Literacy is so fundamental and foundational, but often overlooked.
It greatly impacts an organisation’s capacity to operate effectively, innovate, and make well-informed decisions.
Do you now understand the scale of your data debt problem?
Have you taken any steps to address the data debt in your organisation?
Much like an iceberg, where only 10% is visible above the water, most organisations only see the surface of their data—the reports, dashboards, and immediate outputs. But beneath the surface lies 90% of what truly matters: data quality issues, lineage problems, hidden dependencies, technical debt, and core data management practices that either support or undermine your entire operation.
I recently faced a problem with my laptop and couldn't believe the ‘data debt’ I had built up over just two years. Get your own house in order!
Building the Data Triangle
We examined the vital importance of Data Stewards and the need for Data Owners and Data Stewards to truly collaborate, rather than operate separately. The Data Triangle remains incomplete without the cooperation connecting these two essential roles.
Are your Data Owners and Data Stewards collaborating effectively, or working separately?
Have you established the necessary bridges to make this partnership succeed?
The Role of Data Stewardship in the world of AI
The marvellous ‘Data Diva’ Lisel Engelbrecht joined me earlier this year for a webinarto share her views on the evolving role of Data Stewards in the age of Artificial Intelligence. It reminded me that we must embrace change, why be threatened by change? Surely, we have always adapted to it.
This session motivated me to really understand AI and its potential in data environments. WOW! What can I say? I experimented, explored, and made friends with many AI tools. I created templates to remind me to include context, questions, and audience details. I improved my approach and learned to work alongside AI.
Wow again! Working alone at home, I suddenly felt as if I had a colleague in the room with me. 'We' could explore, debate, agree and disagree. I'd propose an approach, AI would challenge it or suggest refinements, and together we'd arrive at something better than either of us could have created alone. It's an example of collaboration in its truest sense, building on one another’s strengths.
Are you seeing AI as a threat to your role, or as a tool to improve it?
What would change in your Data Management Approach if you had a tireless assistant who was always available?
The Power of Education
When you train a team, they experience together and leave with a shared understanding of what to apply on the job. You gain so much more than just knowledge. This simple yet highly effective training method makes a real difference.
I am currently training a team, and what has been especially rewarding this time is that the delegates now view their data from varied perspectives – not just their own. They now recognise how their colleagues rely on and utilise the data they generate. A true AHA moment for the team😊
Are you still sending individuals off to courses, or have you started training as a team?
When you train together, you establish alignment, develop a shared language, and ensure everyone starts from the same baseline. Additionally, you make the problem and solution everyone's responsibility. Training as a team isn't just more cost-effective; it also fosters a collaborative culture and the shared accountability you need.
Wrapping up this year
Looking back, I find it interesting to see how many things we can do that are simple.
When we started with 'Back to Basics' earlier this year, I wasn’t considering myself; I didn't realise it would apply to me too. Once I did, everything changed.
As this year draws to a close, I am pleased with the progress I have made. I faced the challenges directly; yes, I struggled, but I am now ready to enter the new year with new skills and a fresh mindset. Just as those Greenland icebergs reminded me to look beneath the surface, 2026 will focus on going deeper but not more complicated - more fundamental.
Let's make next year the one where 'back to basics' finally becomes a habit.
