Data teams are expected to be the backbone of modern decision-making, yet many organizations unintentionally set them up for failure. Instead of being empowered to drive insights, data teams are stuck cleaning up bad decisions, fixing last minute reporting requests, and dealing with unrealistic expectations. When leadership doesn’t understand how to work with data teams effectively, frustration builds, turnover increases, and the company’s data strategy suffers.
Why Data Teams Are Frustrated
1. Constantly Reacting to Last Minute Requests
Data teams are often treated like on-demand report generators rather than strategic partners. Executives ask for dashboards with impossible turnaround times, expecting deep insights without giving time for proper analysis. When every request is an emergency, teams spend more time firefighting than building scalable solutions.
2. No Clear Business Questions
A common frustration for data teams is vague requests like, “We need a report on customer behavior” or “Can you pull all sales data?” without specifying what decision the data will inform. Good analysis starts with clear business questions. Without them, teams waste time delivering reports that don’t drive action.
3. Unrealistic Expectations of “Perfect” Data
Leadership often assumes that all data should be instantly available, perfectly clean, and 100% accurate. The reality is that data is always imperfect, and making it usable requires governance, quality checks, and iteration. Instead of demanding flawless data, companies need to focus on building processes that improve accuracy over time.
How To Fix It
- Give data teams a seat at the table. Involve them early in strategic discussions so they can proactively shape solutions instead of reacting to issues.
- Frame requests with business impact in mind. Instead of asking for generic reports, define the decision you need to make and the specific insight required.
- Invest in long-term data infrastructure. Instead of relying on quick fixes, prioritize scalable, automated solutions that reduce the need for manual work.
At Upright Analytics, we help companies bridge the gap between leadership and data teams by designing strategies that enable collaboration, efficiency, and actionable insights. If your data team feels like they’re drowning in ad-hoc requests, it’s time for a better approach.
Contact us to build a smarter, more effective data culture.