Episode 10: A Month of Growth

The evening sun cast long shadows across my desk as I stayed late one Friday, not because of pending work, but because I wanted to reflect. It had been exactly one month since I stepped into the Data Governance Office, trading my comfortable marketing role for this new challenge. As I opened my notebook to the first page, filled with hastily scribbled terms and concepts from my first day, I couldn't help but smile at how far I'd come.

Looking Back

I pulled out my laptop and started typing:

Dear Future Ada,

Today marks one month in the Data Governance Office. When I started, data governance felt like a maze of technical terms and complex processes. Now... well, it's still complex, but I'm starting to see the patterns, understand the purpose, and even contribute to the team.

Here are my key learnings and small wins from this month:

Week 1: The Foundations

• Learned the basic concepts of data governance
• Started understanding our team structure
• Got introduced to key stakeholders
• Discovered that my marketing experience actually helps in understanding data's business value

Small Win: Successfully mapped out the relationship between different teams in the governance framework

Week 2: Diving into Details

• Shadowed team members to understand their roles
• Started learning about metadata and its importance
• Began working with data quality concepts
• Realized the importance of clear communication in governance

Small Win: Helped Chike document metadata for a new dataset, and he said I asked good questions!

Week 3: Getting Hands-On

• Worked on my first data classification exercise
• Started learning basic SQL queries
• Contributed to the data quality monitoring process
• Began understanding compliance requirements

Small Win: Correctly classified a complex dataset and received positive feedback from Tola

Week 4: Finding My Voice

• Presented the updated data glossary to the team
• Participated actively in governance meetings
• Started seeing connections between different aspects of governance
• Contributed ideas for improving our documentation

Small Win: My glossary presentation sparked good discussions and actually helped clarify terms for the team

Areas for Growth

Looking ahead, I identified several areas where I need to improve:

Technical Skills

• Need to strengthen my SQL knowledge
• Want to better understand data lineage tools
• Should learn more about our data quality monitoring systems
• Could improve my understanding of ETL processes

Business Knowledge

• Deepen my understanding of banking regulations
• Learn more about different departments' data needs
• Better understand how governance impacts business outcomes
• Build stronger relationships with stakeholders

Soft Skills

• Continue improving my presentation abilities
• Develop more confidence in technical discussions
• Work on explaining complex concepts simply
• Build stronger relationships across teams

Unexpected Learnings

Some things surprised me this month:

• Data governance isn't just about rules and restrictions but about enabling safe and effective use of data
• My marketing background gives me a unique perspective on data value
• The team is much more collaborative than I expected
• Every challenge is a learning opportunity

Looking Forward

As I set goals for the next month, I want to focus on:

• Taking on more independent projects
• Deepening my technical knowledge
• Building stronger relationships across departments
• Contributing more actively to team discussions

Note from Tola

Earlier today, Tola had left a note on my desk:

"Ada, I've been watching your progress this month. Your curiosity, willingness to learn, and fresh perspective are valuable assets to our team. Keep asking questions, stay curious, and remember—everyone started somewhere. Looking forward to seeing your continued growth.

- Tola"

Her note reminded me that growth isn't just about mastering technical skills—it's about developing judgment, building relationships, and finding my unique way to contribute.

As I packed up to leave, I glanced at the Marina skyline through the window. The lights were starting to come on, creating a beautiful pattern against the darkening sky. It reminded me of what Chike had said about metadata—it's like a map that helps you understand the landscape.

This first month had been my way of creating a mental map of the data governance landscape. There were still many unexplored territories, but I was no longer afraid of getting lost. Instead, I was excited about what I might discover next.

Walking out of the office, I felt a sense of accomplishment mixed with anticipation. Yes, there was still so much to learn, but wasn't that the exciting part? Each day brought new challenges and opportunities to grow.

As I stepped into the elevator, I made a promise to myself: I would celebrate these small wins while staying hungry to learn more.

After all, isn't that what growth is all about?