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Blog: Jill Dyche

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Data Governance as Subversive Act

In which Jill enters dangerous territory, has a tough conversation with a client, and picks up the dog poop.

I like to consider myself a little subversive. To me being subversive doesn’t mean challenging the establishment as much as it does finding a fresh way of thinking within the confines of whatever system you’re working in. Nothing wrong with confronting the current hegemony, being a bit heretical from time to time, and shaking things up in the name of moving forward. Paradigm shifts can be subversive.

Then again as I get older, subversive has taken on a milder definition. Like yesterday, when I made a left on a red arrow. Or last weekend when I took the dogs to an elementary school playground and let them off the leash. (Yes, I picked up after them. Just because I’m subversive doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my good manners.)

Last week I told an IT team that their company wasn’t ready for data governance. At Baseline, we call these discussions the “I Love You But I Have to Kill You” talks, and they’re never easy.

One of the questions we ask clients and prospects who are interested in launching a formal data governance program is: What’s your ability to execute? Of course the answers vary and the interpretation of “execute” is always a bit loose--usually hovering around the maturity of data stewardship at the company. I love this question ‘cuz everyone always learns something new, which is one of our value props.

Turns out after we explained why they weren't ready, our client sponsors weren’t ticked off but newly-emboldened to lay the groundwork for data governance. Preparation itself can be a project. And it can also be an act of subversion. As part of its data governance readiness, our IT client approached the CMO and requested budget for staffing a data steward. This team had never approached a business-side leader before. It was a daring act of, well, courage. Which can be subversive. Or just plain smart.

Technorati Tags: Data Governance, Data Stewardship

  Posted by Jill Dyche on July 16, 2007 9:05 PM |

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