There's a sense of foreboding and uncertainty. You look around, but you're uncertain where to go next. What to do. Or who to turn to. Ultimately, it feels like an eerie calm before the storm. And you get that creepy feeling that something awful is just around the corner.

I might be describing a haunted house at Halloween. Or, I could be talking about your data management strategy now that big data has turned your strategies and practices upside down. Either way, you are probably uncertain, unsure and (maybe) a little scared of what's on the horizon.

That's why every year we celebrate International Data Stewards Day. On this holiday, we celebrate the brave ones among us who look the data monsters in the face and bring them to heel. They don't need a wooden stake or a silver bullet. No, they just need the steely-eyed calm gained from years of experience in the data trenches. That gives them an unmatched understanding of how their data works – and how things can get better.

How can you get involved? Here are four easy things you can do:

1. Think about the data stewards in your organization. Who personifies the term "data steward" the best? Who is the one person you go to when you have a question about the validity of the data or how it's used? As the Data Stewards Day site says, "Nominees don’t need a data steward title. Just a data steward attitude. If they’re smart, patient, determined and an all-around data whiz, they qualify."
2. Nominate them. Go to the nomination form and tell us why the judges should pick them. (Or nominate yourself. Tell your own story and see how you stack up against others in your field).
3. For maximum punch, get others to nominate the same person. Have each nomination cover a different facet of what makes this data steward a great asset to your organization.
4. Kick back and wait for the judges to pick the winner. This year, we'll announce the winner on Dec. 4. Stay tuned!