Data is the New Soil | Unearthing the Gardener Within to Cultivate Data-Driven Success

John Kowalczyk
Apr 22, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Apr 24, 2023

Happy Earth Day everybody! As a keen and dedicated gardener, it is easy to see similarities between all the data-focused work I've been doing my whole career and the gardening I've been doing my whole life. First when I caught his TEDTalk online, and then in-person, back in 2016, at the Collibra Data Citizens Conference in NYC, David McCandless' keynote was quite impactful on my perspectives on the due care of data. It put a whole new dimension on it, as he gave a clarifying improvement over the then-current perspective of "Data is the new oil," instead advocated and quite convincingly, that "Data is the new soil."

Introduction

In the world of business, data has become an increasingly important asset. With the rise of big data, companies are now able to collect and analyze vast amounts of information about their customers, their operations, and the broader market. This data can be used to drive insights, inform decision-making, and ultimately improve business outcomes. But just like soil is the foundation of a healthy garden, data must be carefully managed and nurtured to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

Just as gardeners meticulously tend to the soil to ensure a flourishing garden, data leaders must manage and maintain data to guarantee its quality, diversity, and resilience. This blog post will delve deeper into the lessons IT professionals can learn from gardeners to refine their data leadership and stewardship practices.

The Roots of Data Diversity

A thriving garden is marked by its biodiversity, making it resilient and capable of weathering environmental changes and challenges. Similarly, diverse data sets can withstand shifts in the business landscape and adapt to new opportunities. Data leaders must foster a culture that values data diversity, actively integrating data from various sources to create a dynamic data ecosystem. This approach ensures that the data remains healthy, vibrant, and productive, ultimately benefiting the organization.

Cultivating Data Care and Maintenance

Gardens demand ongoing attention and maintenance, from watering and fertilizing to weeding and pruning. Data requires the same level of dedication, including cleaning, organizing, analyzing, and interpreting. Data leaders should institute routine data management practices to maintain data accuracy and relevance. By dedicating resources to data care and maintenance, data leaders can ensure the health and productivity of their data.

Planting the Seeds of Patience and Perseverance

Gardening is an exercise in patience and perseverance, as plants take time to grow and mature. Data management and analysis share this requirement for persistence. Data leaders must instill a mindset of patience and perseverance within their teams, inspiring them to invest the necessary time and effort to derive meaningful insights and drive results. By continually refining their approach and waiting for the desired outcomes, data leaders can foster a culture of adaptability and innovation.

The Data Stewardship Mentality

Both gardening and data management necessitate a stewardship mentality, taking responsibility for the health of the soil, plants, data quality, and accuracy. Data leaders should promote a sense of stewardship within their teams, emphasizing the significance of ethical and responsible data usage and maintenance. By nurturing this mentality, data leaders can ensure their teams remain accountable for the organization's data assets.

Embracing Change and Fostering Adaptability

Gardeners must adapt to changing conditions such as weather patterns or pest invasions and adjust their strategies accordingly. Data leaders must also be prepared to embrace new technologies, methodologies, and industry trends to stay ahead of the curve. Encouraging a culture of adaptability and continuous learning ensures organizations remain agile and competitive in the ever-evolving data landscape.

Establishing a Sustainable Data Environment

The metaphor of "data is the new soil" invites us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world and apply principles of stewardship and sustainability to data management. Data leaders should adopt environmentally responsible practices, such as energy-efficient data storage and processing, to minimize the ecological footprint of their data operations.

Conclusion

"Data is the new soil" offers valuable insights for data leaders and IT professionals seeking to improve their data leadership and stewardship practices. By embracing the principles of biodiversity, ongoing care, patience, stewardship, adaptability, and sustainability, data leaders can create a thriving data ecosystem that supports their organization's growth and success. This approach fosters a more sustainable and ethical method of data management, paving the way for a better future for businesses and the broader community.