Your boss is not interested in data governance. How can you get them to care?

1 Align data governance with business goals

One of the main reasons why your boss may not care about data governance is that they don't see how it relates to their business objectives. They may think that data governance is a technical issue that only concerns the IT department, or that it is a costly and time-consuming project that doesn't generate immediate results. To change their perception, you need to show them how data governance can support their strategic goals and deliver value to the organization. For example, you can demonstrate how data governance can help them improve customer satisfaction, increase revenue, reduce costs, or enhance innovation. You can also use case studies or success stories from other organizations that have implemented data governance and achieved positive outcomes.

2 Identify data pain points and opportunities

Another way to get your boss interested in data governance is to identify the data pain points and opportunities that affect their work. Data pain points are the problems or challenges that arise from poor data quality, such as inaccurate reports, inconsistent data, or missed opportunities. Data opportunities are the potential benefits or improvements that can be achieved from better data quality, such as new insights, competitive advantages, or operational efficiency. You can use data audits, surveys, interviews, or analytics tools to uncover the data pain points and opportunities that your boss faces, and then propose data governance solutions that can address them. For example, you can show them how data governance can help them reduce errors, streamline processes, or optimize resources.

3 Communicate data governance benefits and ROI

Once you have aligned data governance with business goals and identified data pain points and opportunities, you need to communicate the benefits and ROI of data governance to your boss. Benefits are the positive outcomes or impacts that data governance can bring to the organization, such as improved data quality, enhanced data security, or increased data value. ROI is the return on investment that data governance can generate, such as cost savings, revenue growth, or risk reduction. You can use metrics, indicators, or benchmarks to measure and quantify the benefits and ROI of data governance, and then present them to your boss in a clear and compelling way. For example, you can use charts, graphs, or dashboards to illustrate the before-and-after scenarios of data governance, or use testimonials, feedback, or ratings to highlight the customer or stakeholder satisfaction.

4 Address data governance challenges and risks

Even if you have communicated the benefits and ROI of data governance to your boss, they may still have some reservations or objections. They may be concerned about the challenges and risks that data governance entails, such as complexity, resistance, or compliance. To overcome their fears, you need to address the challenges and risks of data governance and show them how you can mitigate them. For example, you can explain how data governance can simplify and standardize data processes, how you can engage and educate data users and stakeholders, or how you can ensure data compliance and ethics. You can also share best practices, lessons learned, or tips from other data governance experts or practitioners, or seek external support or guidance from data governance consultants or vendors.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?