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5 Brutal Truths The Business Doesn’t Want Your Data Strategy, It Wants Results

The business doesn’t fund intelligence. It funds outcomes.

Author

Glenda Carnate
February 12, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

In January, it is very easy to get excited about everything that is happening: approval of roadmaps, everyone loves an AI-enabled demo, and teams are using terms like “capability building” and “foundational investments.”

In contrast, February tends to be a lot quieter. Presentation slides are shorter. At some point, someone will ask, “What changed?” They don’t want to know what shipped, or what’s in progress, just what moved. This question typically leads to the end of the day for many companies’ data strategies.

5 Brutal Market Reality for Data Leaders:

1. No One Cares About Your Roadmap Anymore.

Roadmaps outline activity, but for an executive, they need measureable return.

Solution: Align each piece of work with an enterprise metric:

  • Lower Costs

  • Increase Revenue

  • Lower Risk

If the initiative does not do something to a known number, stop!

2. AI Pilots Are Not Real Progress.

Demos excite people, but financial statements allow for proof of impact.

Solution: Turn pilots into productionized and embedded use cases within 30 days or eliminate them...none of this in between!

3. No Impact. No Evidence.

Just being busy doesn't impress your board.

Solution: Produce a monthly Data Impact Report.

  • Measurements: Before & After

  • Decision Change

  • Financial Deltas

1 page, no jargon.

4. If You Are Having To Explain Your Work, It’s Too Abstract.

Strategies on paper are worthless unless behaviors change.

Solution: Put the models and insights directly into the work so that the operational workflows include:

  • Approvals

  • Routing

  • Forecasting

If this is Optional = Invisible!

5. If Everything Is A Priority, Nothing Is Being Done.

Shades of February = Am I clear on what my priorities are?

Solution: Publicly commit to 3 enterprise outputs for Q1.

All other initiatives are to be terminated.

Concentration = Leverage!

💡Key Takeaway: 

In February, the Data Office will be evaluated based on the delta at an enterprise level, with either a positive or negative impact being considered.

👉 LIKE this if you have felt a shift this quarter from strategy to scrutiny.

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