Angus Knight Group · The Data Playbook

Principles for working with data

Data is only an asset when it changes a decision a named person makes. If you cannot name the decision, it is cost, not asset.
The Decision Test · run any request through three questions
1
What decision does this change?
2
Who makes that decision?
3
What would they do differently once they have it?

The record is the start of a decision

What an Employment Coach writes down after an appointment is what the next person acts on.

Record it on the day, in time to count

A record entered too late to act on changes nothing.

One record is read many ways

The same record is read by Employment Coaches, Business Managers and Leadership, each for a different decision.

The record is the product, not the report

A dashboard is only ever as accurate as the records it is built from.

One version of the truth

Agree what the key words mean, so everyone counts the same thing the same way.

A number is a question, not a verdict

It shows where to look, not what happened. Check what is behind it before acting.

If a number looks wrong, say so

Flag it to someone who can fix it, and fix the cause, not just the one number.

Everyone owns their link in the chain

Operations records it, BI keeps it consistent, IT keeps it running, Finance checks it adds up, and Leadership agrees what things mean.

Move from reacting to preventing

Spot it this week and act, instead of explaining it at month-end when the participant has already gone.

One chain, several owners
akguk.co.uk
Operations
creates the record
BI
keeps the meaning
IT
keeps it running
Finance
reconciles it
Leadership
sets definitions