Your team is wary of data governance affecting decision-making. How can you ensure autonomy remains intact?

When my team at my AI company, worried that data governance might limit their decision-making, I knew transparency was key. I very transparently and openly explained how our governance policies were meant to improve data quality and accessibility, not restrict access. I made sure everyone understood that good governance helps us make better decisions with reliable data. So by involving the team in creating these policies, they could see that governance supports informed choices rather than getting in the way. This approach helped ease their concerns and maintain their decision-making autonomy.

In order to ensure effective data governance, it is critical that the guardrails for working are set out for all to see. In this way everyone can understand and follow and so in turn ensure overall integrity, confidence and decisioning.

When my team at my AI company was concerned about data governance affecting their decision-making, I realized we needed a very clear and simple approach. We held a meeting to discuss and develop straightforward policies for data access, quality, and security together. By collaborating on these rules, my team felt more involved, and understood how these policies supported their work. They felt heard! We made sure the rules were flexible enough to fit different team needs but still ensured data integrity. Using this type of collaborative approach helped everyone feel confident in navigating data and making decisions. It preserved their autonomy while maintaining good governance practices!

When my team in my AI company was concerned about data governance limiting their decision-making, I found I had to focus on encouraging ownership. So I urged them to take an active role in maintaining the quality and accuracy of the data they used. Then we set up regular check-ins where each member could share their efforts in keeping data reliable. I loved this approach because it made them feel responsible for the data and more invested in the governance framework. They had "skin in the game!" By encouraging a sense of ownership, the team felt empowered to make decisions based on high-quality data, knowing they had a hand in ensuring its reliability. Doing this helped maintain their autonomy while supporting good data practices.

Like many issues, it's ALL about the training! My team was wary of data governance affecting their decision-making, so I knew proper training was going to make a HUGE difference. We organized comprehensive training sessions on data governance principles and tools. WE created sessions covering how to use data responsibly and explained how governance practices protect against misuse. In the end, by equipping the team with this knowledge, they began to see how data governance could actually enhance their work. With a better understanding, they came to trust the governance process more and used it to their advantage in making informed decisions.

I find it helpful to create two kinds of spaces for feedback: informal (like chatting in a team meeting about how people experienced something) and Formal (like annual surveys). Feedback isn't just about what went right or wrong; it's also about finding out what people would do differently to make it better (for themselves) next time.

I believe that any team has the freedom to make decisions while maintaining accountability and adherence to data governance policies. For this, organization should establish a center of excellence and create a central team that provides guidance, support, and oversight while enabling autonomy in decision-making.