Blog: Jill Dyche

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A Data Governance Drinking Game

Okay, major disclaimer: don’t drink at work. Don’t offer your colleagues beer. Or a mojito. And don’t even think about keeping a flask of Scotch in your desk drawer. Not even single-malt. I mean it. Unless, of course, you’re undergoing User Acceptance Testing, in which case all of the above are permissible, indeed, encouraged.

Remember that "Bob" drinking game from your college days (or your high school days if you were naughty)? You’d sit around the TV with your buddies and watch reruns of The Bob Newhart Show. Whenever someone said the word “Bob,” you’d take a sip of your drink of choice. Whenever someone said, “Hi, Bob” you’d chug it. I preferred to play this game in my own dorm room so I could pass out on my own bed.

I just came across a variation of this game in an airport recently. A bunch of professional females were sitting in a Mexican restaurant at an airport listening to Dr. Laura Schlessinger on the radio. You had to watch to get the gist of it. Whenever Dr. Laura said the word, “Ma’am” the women would all sip their margaritas. Whenever Dr. Laura said “God bless," they’d knock back a shot of tequila. I watched the game and even briefly considering joining in when the bartender, citing FAA regulations, summarily cut everyone off. The males in the bar roundly booed the bartender until he threatened to cut them off, too, then everyone packed up and went to their gates.

Years ago I worked for a start-up where the V.P. of Marketing would bring in a keg of beer every Friday afternoon. We all had a two-beer limit, but it was a nice way to relax after a hard work week and to cement that start-up esprit de corps.

If I played a drinking game with some of my clients, we’d mix ourselves some Banana Banshees. Whenever someone said, “data governance,” we’d sip our banshees. And whenever someone said, “executive sponsorship” we’d knock our heads back and gulp ‘em on down.

Somebody take my keys!

Technorati tags: data governance, executive sponsorship

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