Is Yak Shaving preventing your data project from being successful?

Is Yak Shaving preventing your data project from being successful? Firstly, what is it? Yak shaving refers to a series of seemingly useless or irrelevant tasks that are performed before a project can move forward. Devised Carlin J. Vieri – a PhD student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology – but popularised by Seth Godin. The term comes from the idea that to get a Yak ready for shaving, you need to complete smaller tasks, such as brushing the Yak, before you can start.

Yak shaving in the business sense refers to engaging in a meaningless task that has no obvious relationship to what you’re supposed to be working on – but may be necessary to troubleshoot a larger problem.

An example of Yak Shaving

Suppose you are working of a project to analyse a large dataset. Before you can even begin analysing the data, you need to clean it up and prepare it for analysis. However, as you start working on cleaning the data, you realise that you first need to install a particular software package to perform the necessary cleaning steps. But when you try to install the software, you realise that it requires a newer version of a particular library, but then you realise that you need to upgrade your operating system to install the library. And so on.

The process of complicating simple tasks with other tasks is not new. The bigger the organisation, the more endemic it may become! The answer is to take a step back and be aware of the bigger picture. Ask yourself “Can this be done a different way?”. Very often you are three steps towards Yak shaving before you even know it. Each of these tasks tend to be fine on their own, but they are distractions.

Yak Shaving and Data Management

In the context of data management, Yak shaving can occur when a team becomes focused on smaller tasks such as data cleaning or data formatting, which are important but may not be related to the project’s primary objective. While these tasks are necessary, they can become a distraction from the primary goals, leading to time and resource waste.

This can lead to delays, cost overruns, and other inefficiencies that can negatively impact the project’s overall success.

How to avoid yak shaving

Although Yak shaving is necessary for a thorough project, it’s important to not get side-tracked by smaller, less meaningful tasks. Here are six ways you can do this:

1. Be self-aware.

2. Set goals.

3. Set checkpoints.

4. Plan.

5. Focus on the task.

6. Clear distractions.

Another key step is to designate a team member to be responsible for overseeing the project’s overall progress and ensuring that the team remains focused on the primary objectives. This person can help you identify when the team is getting side-tracked, and redirect team members back to the primary goals.

Finally, it’s essential to remain flexible and adaptable to changes that may occur during the project’s lifespan. While it’s crucial to remain focused on the primary objectives, unforeseen challenges may arise that require the team to adjust their approach. Being open to change can help prevent team members from becoming overly focused on small tasks that may not contribute to the project’s overall success.

Look out for it! Your project is too important to be side-tracked by Yak Shaving!

Summary

In summary, Yak shaving can be a significant issue in data management that can lead to inefficiencies and delays. However, with proper planning, clear communication, and a focus on the primary objectives, it’s possible to mitigate the impact of Yak shaving and sure a successful project outcome. At Datavault, we’re committed to helping our clients navigate these challenges and achieve their data management goals.