Every company is a Big Data company. It is overused but true. Today even lifestyle businesses can collect gigabytes of data that were once only the realm of large enterprises.

Command of data makes you relevant as the speaker of that data story. Taking the time to analyze, understand, and put together an opinion based on facts makes you both valuable and informed.

I remember watching a newly promoted finance manager drown in a 12-page spreadsheet as questions came from the business. She hadn’t taken the time to read or analyze the information meaningfully. 

Having command of your data means understanding what data you have, where it comes from, how it's being used, and your legal responsibilities for managing it. This includes personal information like name and address to more complex data sets like financial records or customer demographics. 

One of the first steps in gaining command of your data is establishing clear policies and procedures for data management. This may include creating guidelines for data collection, storage, and access and implementing security measures to protect sensitive information. This includes complying with GDPR and CCPA and ensuring your data is secure. There are legal and compliance reasons to do this. 

If you don’t know those acronyms or have a plan for routinely managing your influx of data, now is the time.