What are the top 3 things you do to create a work environment that encourages team members to stay and grow within your D&A team?

1. Great technical leaders are critical. Admittedly, finding people with hybrid leadership/technology capabilities is difficult. Technical talent stays longer if they're working for leaders who have been where they are and can speak in their terms.
2. Structured career paths, especially from outside the D&A team, into a technical data role. People who are promoted internally into their first data role stay longer. Developing a learning path with resources to support people preparing for the transition is essential.
3. Help D&A leaders create space for everyone in their teams by defining how they add value and communicating it to the rest of the team. Clear expectations are a good start, but creating a place for them on the team prevents many problems that lead to great people leaving.

My approach, which to be honest has little to do with D&A. This works for any team. 

- Provide interesting and meaningful work to your team members, something that challenges them cognitively and that has a strong link to the company's mission. At the same time, automate the repetitive work or outsource it.
- Be a servant leader to your team. You're hear to give them high level direction, guardrail, and remove roadblock, not tell them what to do in details. They're smarter and better experts than me. 
- Provide learning and development opportunities as well as exposure and recognition opportunities. Give them the spots at conferences, share their impact with business leaders and your own senior leadership. Show your appreciation

In my experience, team members can broadly be divided into two groups: those who prefer staying in their comfort zone and those who seek continuous challenges. It's important to balance the needs of both groups. For those who prefer stability, let them excel in their area of expertise without pushing them too hard. For those seeking challenges, provide opportunities for growth and new experiences. Understanding these preferences and managing them accordingly helps in maintaining a balanced and motivated team.

One thing I've found is that we don't often celebrate those who are excellent at their job and wish to continue in that role. We sometimes push them towards leadership roles they may not want. I proactively address pay gaps for those who excel in their current roles, ensuring they are compensated fairly. This approach brings stability to the department.

For example, I had a team member who tried a leadership role but hated it. I moved him back to his original role where he was happier and more productive. It's important to recognize and support individuals' preferences and strengths.

Additionally, I encourage team-led learning opportunities. One of my team members organized a Power BI show-and-tell session, which we expanded to the whole organization. Identifying and nurturing individual strengths while providing proactive support is key to keeping the team happy and engaged.

Career development, providing the right technologies, and offering growth opportunities are all crucial. Specifically in the data and analytics space, many roles involve tasks that aren't glamorous, like data governance and data quality. These tasks are vital but often go unrecognized. As leaders, we need to celebrate and showcase the value these roles bring to the organization. Recognizing and celebrating these efforts encourages team members to continue contributing, even when their work isn't as visible or celebrated as other functions.