Data Governance – The Human Element

September 2024, Scott Garner, Senior Consultant

I find data governance to be a fascinating topic. Yes, I fully understand that a statement like that puts me directly in the “data nerd” category, and I’m ok with that. But to be honest, it’s not just the data part of data governance that I’m passionate about. What fascinates me most about data governance is how heavily influenced it is by the human element.

Over the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many different organizations about their data governance programs, and I’ve noticed a pattern tied to success that seems to be fairly consistent. Organizations that recognize and embrace the human element have a much higher success rate than those that don’t.

What exactly is the “human element”? And what does it look like to recognize and embrace it?

To me, the human element is the “people part” of the data governance equation. It’s recognizing that implementing change requires involvement from people, and those people have feelings, personalities, and needs that should be understood and respected. It’s acknowledging that culture matters and being careful to align your efforts accordingly.

The concept of the human element has numerous aspects, but here are 3 recurring themes that I see having the most influence on data governance programs in the industry.

  1. Words Matter

The old adage of sticks and stones says that words will never hurt me. Well, words can certainly hurt you if you’re trying to influence people and you use a word that makes people react negatively to your message. People are emotional beings, and the language we use evokes emotion. As such, it’s incredibly important that you choose your words carefully when introducing a data governance program.

EXAMPLE

A colleague recently shared a perfect example of this truth. They had worked for weeks to prepare slides for a roadshow to introduce data governance to business stakeholders, but the roadshow stalled after the first day of meetings. Why? Because the presentation was titled “Improving Data Literacy Through Data Governance”, and the word literacy had rubbed people the wrong way, so much so that they spent 80% of the meeting arguing about that one word. Clearly not the best choice of words for a room full of engineers who felt they were already very literate in data and technology.

STEPS TO TAKE

  1. Understand Your Audience: This is such a foundational yet often overlooked step when preparing your data governance narrative. It’s so easy to get focused entirely on the message that sometimes we forget who the message is intended for. In this example I suspect that the word literacy never would have made it on the screen if they had taken time to think about the topic through the perspective of these engineers.
  2. Pre-Reads: One of the most effective ways to protect against this type of roadblock is to review your plans with trusted individuals before starting your roadshow. Identify 1-2 people (across different functional groups) and have them review the material ahead of time. In most cases this will reveal words or terms that might need adjusting.
  3. Leverage Corporate Functions: The company mentioned in my example has a corporate Change Management Office (CMO) function that wasn’t leveraged. If they had used the CMO, it’s very likely that the word literacy would have been changed prior to the roadshow. HR or Marketing are other corporate functions that can provide guidance as well.
  1. Personality Matters

I think we all inherently understand that personality matters when engaging other people, and of course we need to pay attention to different personalities when talking to individuals about data governance. But it’s also critically important to remember that personality matters at the organizational level as well.

EXAMPLE

  • Consider the type of data governance narrative that would resonate with a highly influential and successful financial institution that’s been in business for over 100 years. They emphasize how they can protect you from compliance issues as well as how your money will be safe within their care. The average tenure for employees is 30+ years, and 85% of the employees have a finance background. In this example, the data governance narrative would likely need to focus on the importance of establishing trust through accurate data and/or ensuring regulatory compliance by having clearly defined policies and procedures.
  • Now consider the type of data governance narrative that would resonate with a relatively young sportswear manufacturer that specializes in designing accessories for elite-level mixed martial arts competitors. They are well known for being quick and agile with new product innovation, as well as the “cool factor” of their designs. Most employees are between 25 and 32 years old and have been at the company for less than 5 years. In this example, the data governance narrative would likely need to focus on the importance of having accurate and consistent data to enable faster product development lifecycles. The fundamental aspects of data governance will be very similar for these two organizations, but clearly the personality of the organization must be understood and embraced in order to successfully implement data governance.

STEPS TO TAKE

  1. Spend time with people: If you’re new to the organization, talk to a range of people across the company. Schedule meetings with people across multiple functions, various pay grades, and different tenure levels. And as much as possible, attend work events that are outside of normal working hours. Many times, the true behavioral personality of a company shows up beyond the walls of the workplace.
  2. Pay attention to psychographics (psychological variables such as attitudes, interests, etc.): As you frame your data governance narrative, it’s important to understand the attitudes, interests, behaviors, and opinions of the individuals of the organization.
    1. Attitudes – is this a “let’s do this” organization? Or is it a “let’s play it safe” organization? The “let’s play it safe” organization might respond better if you position data governance as a defensive priority (compliance), whereas a “let’s do this” organization might respond better if you position data governance as an offensive opportunity (growth).
    2. Interests – is the annual company party a traditional, formal dinner in the company’s 5th floor conference room? Or is it hosted downtown with a live band and an open bar? For the traditional company you might focus more on the structure and policy side of data governance, whereas for a more social company you might focus more on the collaboration and “working together” side of data governance.
    3. Behaviors – What’s the preferred communication style? Do people prefer open and blunt communication? Or do they prefer to keep things polite for the sake of unity? If blunt communication is preferable, you have much more leeway to speak freely when talking about the potential risks of not having data governance policies in place.
    4. Opinions/Values – How important are certain issues across the organization? Is environmental sustainability measured as a company goal? Or is it something viewed as a personal preference? If reducing CO2 emissions is an important value for the company, you can use that and emphasize how data governance policies play a crucial role in ensuring emissions compliance.

These psychological variables are the essence of the human element and should be recognized and embraced. Each element provides insight into ways you can adjust your message to best connect with your intended audience.

  1. Advocacy Matters

One of the most foundational aspects of the human element is the fact that people respond to other people. When trying to influence people across an organization, there’s nothing more powerful than having well-respected individuals advocating on your behalf.

EXAMPLE

A client I worked with shared an excellent example of the power of having advocates. They had developed a comprehensive data governance program that was being launched across the company, and she was tasked with rolling it out to the sales organization. And for the record, the rollout plan was incredibly well done. It was clear that they had recognized and embraced the human element. The rollout was going smoothly for all business functions, but not so much for Sales. Despite her best efforts, she got significant pushback from the executive sales leaders, and it looked like she had hit a dead end. But she found a way to break down the walls of resistance. Her long-time mentor was a well-respected Sales VP that had recently retired from the same company, so she explained the challenges and asked for help. After a few phone calls from the retired Sales VP, the perspective of the executive sales leaders changed dramatically and the rollout moved forward without any further issues.

STEPS TO TAKE

  1. Identify advocates: You will most likely need an advocate at some point, so it’s a good idea to proactively identify at least one advocate to have when needed. Things to look for:
    1. Well respected – someone that others respect
    2. Well positioned – someone that can influence others
    3. Well intentioned – someone that will accurately reflect your position
  2. Prepare your advocate: Having an advocate is good, but you need to make sure that your advocate understands the task and can accurately support what you need.
    1. Formally ask them to be an advocate – make sure you formally have their support to be an advocate.
    2. Explain the advocate role – explain the specifics of what you may need them to do for you.
    3. Educate on the narrative – spend time reviewing and rehearsing the narrative that you need your advocate to support.
  3. Identify detractors: You will most likely face at least one detractor, so it’s a good idea to identify those as early as possible. Once identified, invest the time to fully understand their concerns and see if you can overcome the objections. Sometimes the best advocates are people who were once detractors, so the investment can be worth it. If your efforts are unsuccessful, you may just need to move on and focus your efforts elsewhere.

Implementing a data governance program can be challenging, and there are numerous factors that can cause a program to fail. But the organizations that have sustainable success with data governance are often those that fully embrace the people part of the equation. They recognize the importance of the human element, and they ensure that their data governance program embodies the culture of the organization.