What do you do if your data governance project faces conflicts and resistance to change?

Step 1, never agree to a "Data Goverance Project". DG is not a project, and is not something you deploy as a once and done. Step 2, get up and step out of your #IT #Silo, talk to the business and your stakeholders, listening to understand the challenges they have, and the business outcomes they seek. Seek alignment on priorities that you recommend based on the #Data that matters most, where you can add the most value, and where you are certain to deliver measurable outcomes every quarter, & every month therein. Step 3, Ensure metrics measure true value, Celebrate wins, Communicate 123: Convey, Collaborate, Calibrate (see my Feedback on DG/Cross Functional Resistance for more on this) AND, pls follow me-the #DataNinja for more #Quality!

Resistance to change is incredibly common - and data governance is not immune! Utilising a sound change management approach to analyse the root cause for the resistance to change, build awareness and desire among stakeholders, and find the "why" that matters to them is essential. There's only one way to do this - genuine engagement with your stakeholders. Get out there and talk to people! Understand what they do every day, their challenges with data, and find that "hook" that will make data governance a value add in their role.

It can happen that some stakeholders are resistant to change due to precedent implementation that didn’t go well and they’re kind of ??traumatized??. You need to identify such stakeholders as they will be potential barriers to change and identify allies who will support the initiative. You must particularly take care of ??traumatized?? stakeholders as they really need to be convinced twice more than others and must really understand their pain points during first implementation in order not to repeat same situation otherwise you’ll lose them for all.

Often, excuses are used to hide the real reasons for conflicts. This is a human trait, often related to fears such as loss of control, changes in processes, increased workload, etc. It is important to evaluate all the details when identifying the true root cause and to put them into context. Only in this way can a picture be drawn that closely resembles reality. Incorrect conclusions are not conducive, so it's advisable to take the time to proceed thoroughly. This requires experience in conversation management and a lot of tact.

Understand the underlying reasons for conflicts and resistance to change. Conduct stakeholder analysis to identify individuals or groups affected by the project and their concerns, motivations, and expectations. Communicate the purpose, goals, and benefits of the data governance project clearly and transparently to all stakeholders. Address any misconceptions or concerns and emphasize the importance of collaboration and cooperation.

Prioritize gaps and issues based on their impact on the data governance project's objectives, timeline, and stakeholders. Facilitate open dialogue, active listening, and constructive feedback sessions to understand stakeholders' concerns and perspectives. Communicate transparently and regularly with stakeholders about the gaps and issues identified in the data governance project. Develop action plans to address each identified gap or issue systematically. Define clear objectives, timelines, responsibilities, and success criteria for implementing solutions. Execute the action plans to address gaps and issues identified in the data governance project.

Change management is a core element of Data Governance. Any data governance professional would benefit greatly from developing their change management skills through extensive research and learning. It is so important in the field, that even enrolling in a set of change management courses at a qualified university would be well worth it.

Resistance to change happens very often in data governance and it’s important to nominate change relays among Managers who will spread the word and promote the benefits of data governance implementation. In addition to change relays, it’s also important to communicate vision to explain why such a change, train employees, and support them during deployment.

Managing change is crucial when facing conflicts and resistance to change in a data governance project. Identify the Source of Conflict, Communicate Clearly and Transparently, Involve Stakeholders in Decision-Making, Address Concerns Proactively, Celebrate Small Wins, Provide Ongoing Support. By adopting a proactive and inclusive approach to managing change, you can effectively address conflicts and overcome resistance to change in your data governance project, fostering a culture of collaboration, alignment, and success within your organization.

A resistência a mudan?a é algo bem comum que ocorre nas empresas que est?o implantando a Governan?a de Dados. Essa "resistência" pode ser reduzida por meio de um amplo programa de comunica??o e capacita??o. A medida em que o programa vai evoluindo e surgem as primeiras entregas, a tendência é que essas resistências v?o come?ar a reduzir. Quanto mais entregas, menor as resistências. Para isso funcionar, como falei anteriormente a empresa precisa comunicar e capacitar as pessoas de forma adequada.

Devemos considerar também que a governan?a de dados deve "estar dentro" das políticas e normas da organiza??o, assim conseguimos comunicar a todas as áreas qual seu papel e como o tema é fundamental para saúde do negócio, criando comunica??o e estabelecendo objetivos claros para alcan?ar o sucesso do projeto.