When data goes bad, career path changes happen

When data goes bad, career path changes happen

Scanning recent headlines, I was intrigued by those focused on data. Particularly, when data is bad; for example:

Executive Decisions on Bad Data:
“According to a May 2026 survey by OneStream, nearly half (47%)
of finance and tech executives made material business choices
based on incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated financial data CFO Dive.”

Then again, as I was to read a short time later:

“Bad data quality refers to moments when data is inaccurate, missing,
or otherwise unreliable, leading to what is termed as data downtime,
which can adversely impact business operations and decision-making.”

Data downtime is scarcely topical among members of the Nonstop community. I have as yet not heard specific references to data downtime, but I can make the assumption that when bad data is presented to management it leads to further time spent on “reworking the numbers.” Even worse? It can lead to a divergence as to where their business path might lead. As I read more about bad data, I couldn’t help but let my mind drift to past episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

One of the central characters was the android, Data, who became a much-loved personality for many followers of this television series. Data exhibited no emotions that is, until his creator, gave him an emotion “chip.” Overwhelmed with feelings never experienced, for a brief period, Data went bad. Or at least, as bad as an android can become. When it comes to the technology of today, androids apart, operating on bad data not only leads to wasted time but, during the time where it misleads, can change the course of the trajectory of the business, or worse, of the world as we know it. When it comes to our own actions, it can open the door to an undiscovered country.

My career at Tandem Computers should never have happened. Coming at a time where I had already navigated the tricky career choice of being a Managing Director for computer vendors operating in Australia – yes, in 1977, a local computer newspaper remarked that I had become the youngest Australian Managing Director of a US based software vendor. For the next decade I progressed to this most senior business posting for two additional companies before experiencing my first career misstep; accepting as I did a post in marketing for an Australian company that moved to America.

Imagine, then, my good fortune when my headhunting agency found me the perfect next career move back in Australia – the General Manager of a major computer peripheral manufacturer. On the day of my final interview, my headhunter rang to give me the bad, and good, news. I didn’t get the job but as for good news, he did! Ouch …

Then came the approach from Tandem Computers. Suddenly the opportunity at Tandem Computers appeared as an interesting option. On the very day that I received an offer from Tandem I also received an offer from Digital Computers. One was to continue down the marketing track whereas the other was to lead their Australian pursuit into banking. Bad data? I was totally misguided by the Tandem job offer. Was I about to enter that undiscovered country?

Picture this. The offer was to be the Program Manager with oversight of a Tandem Core Team. A kind of general practitioner akin to being a smaller role, lower case, general manager. Accepting the offer and after only a couple of years in the role, I realized how badly I had misunderstood what I had been offered. Here I was, stuck in Silicon Valley, with few options. I had kept my Sydney home as I had kept my Sydney car. I was ready to leave, but then I was approached to join the Product Marketing team under Chris Rooke and then, a year later, approached again to become the group manager of the comms and networking Product Management team under Roy Graham. I was struggling with what I expected vs what this turned out to be. Little did I know back then just how well all of this would turn out!

The road back to Sydney had firmly closed and, at a Tandem-wide assembly to unveil the new organization chart for Product Management, my team was left off the board. What does that mean … you guessed it, no one had an explanation that made sense. But the absence of not just me but my team, spoke volumes. As far as career’s go at Tandem, it wasn’t looking good. Time for a reality check. Has my use-by-date truly expired? Then again, I began to question, does Nonstop, nee Tandem, ever leave you? Again, as I continue to muse on the past, as it turned out, I never truly ventured any further than the Tandem ecosystem as I gravitated towards a group of vendors with whom I truly enjoyed working.

In short order, events overtook me to where I joined Insession Technologies and, only a few years later, become part of ACI. It was during my last weeks at ACI that it seemed that my career was back on track as I was promoted to the position of VP. This promotion within Insession Technologies business unit lasted just a lunchtime as, when I returned, Insession Technologies no longer existed. The ink may have only just dried on my new business cards but, at that moment, Insession Technologies had become fully absorbed into ACI.

As for the bad data well, let us see? Maybe it wasn’t all that misleading after all. If I hadn’t accepted the position at Tandem, I would never have met my future wife, Margo. Certainly, no hallucinations about that; I had all the data I needed and it all pointed in the right direction. Furthermore, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to experience two decades, living and working, in Colorado. Careers may follow unpredictable paths but with hindsight, my trajectory never deviated from the pursuit of a deeper engagement with the Nonstop community.

When I encounter members of the New to Nonstop group, and look at postings to their LinkedIn group and at the many video sessions by mentors that are being regularly uploaded, avoiding bad data seems to be an imperative. Sound-bites coming from every direction don’t always translate into exciting opportunities. However, here’s the thing. With time, you can turn any opportunity, bad or otherwise, to your advantage given time and a willingness to adapt. Bad data may prove to be only short-lived.

Acceptance of any sideways career move may feel bad, perhaps even ridiculous, but let it ride for a while and watch where it leads. Being left off the org chart is never a good thing, of course, but then being “gazumped by your own headhunter,” well that’s an experience I sure hope no one else goes through. Short of being asked to jump into a muddy puddle as a promotional exercise, don’t let overthinking a situation deter you from looking at the so-called bigger picture. Put the muddy puddles to one side and let your community see you for who you are.

One may be new to Nonstop, but for the majority of the Nonstop community members it isn’t new and, surely, it never represented a career path without changes that challenged you at every turn. Bad data can drive poor decisions but once made, and where the career path appears to be diverging, hold on! It may be rough and there may be steps that falter but, when it comes to Nonstop, whether its new or not, after the lengthy association I have had with Nonstop, all I can add is that yes, Nonstop will unlikely be that undiscovered country that you want to leave!