{"id":2169,"date":"2025-05-22T18:46:31","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/thought-leaders\/?p=2169"},"modified":"2025-05-22T18:46:31","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T18:46:31","slug":"resetting-the-data-governance-narrative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/thought-leaders\/resetting-the-data-governance-narrative\/","title":{"rendered":"Resetting the Data Governance Narrative"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4 id=\"isPasted\"><strong><em>A Joint Statement from John Ladley &amp; Robert S. Seiner:<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For years, we have watched data governance be misrepresented, over-complicated, and \u2013 let\u2019s be honest \u2013 over-cooked. Organizations struggle with ineffective implementations, leadership resists investing in governance, and practitioners find themselves caught between rigid compliance mandates and the realities of how data is used. The problem isn\u2019t data governance itself \u2013 it\u2019s how it\u2019s being understood, communicated and applied.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As two long-time advocates for practical, results-driven data governance, we are using our voices, experience, and influence to call for a reset. Our message is not intended to promote our practice, or further interests in a product or service. Candidly, we want the reader to start to think for\u00a0<em>themselves\u00a0<\/em>instead of relying on a talking head or vendor-driven scenarios.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The world has changed. AI, automation, real-time data, and transitions in the workforce are forcing organizations to rethink how they manage and use information. \u201cData driven\u201d appears in annual reports. Yet, we still see governance framed as an IT function, treated like an administrative roadblock, or a set of restrictive policies rather than what it truly is \u2013 a business capability that is a catalyst for efficiency, trust, and innovation.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Lessons We Must Acknowledge to Move Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Data governance is not a failure (yet)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 how we talk about it is. Organizations already handle data informally. These efforts are inconsistent, inefficient, and ineffective. Never forget that governance already exists in your organization so the focus must be on practical refinement of what exists or practical iterations. \u201cData\u201d governance is an expansion of a long-accepted concept.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data governance is mis-interpreted<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Data governance is widely misunderstood \u2013 and often dismissed as stale \u2013 because people forget it\u2019s not new. At its core, governance simply means the execution and enforcement of authority \u2013 it&#8217;s the check in the checks and balances that ensure your data works. That\u2019s why data governance must move out of IT. Keeping it there creates a conflict of interest and undermines fundamental business principles. Governance belongs with the business, where accountability lives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Failing to convince leadership that data deserves governance is one of our biggest setbacks.<\/strong>\u00a0We must normalize the idea that formal, monitored behavior around data is just standard business practice \u2013 no different than how finances or operations are governed. Governance is already in the job description of CEOs and boards of directors. Without it, an organization\u2019s actions can\u2019t be verified or trusted. When someone claims, \u201cdata governance slows us down,\u201d what they\u2019re really saying is, \u201cwe\u2019re okay with producing unmeasurable, un-verifiable results.\u201d That mindset is the real threat to progress.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Governance must enable, not obstruct<\/strong>. Governance is often implemented in ways that slow progress rather than accelerate it. Governance must be positioned as an\u00a0<em>EFFICIENCY driver<\/em>\u00a0that supports and enables value from all uses of data assets. Technology can help administer and enable governance, but, like providers of other software tools, vendors want to sell their software and will assert themselves at any opportunity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leadership will benefit significantly from a business-driven message.<\/strong>\u00a0The message must be one that is shielded from technical jargon. If we continue to pitch governance in terms of data quality, metadata, lineage, and data catalogs, we will continue to lose the attention of executives. These items are part of a data professional\u2019s job. Governance must be framed in terms of revenue growth, risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and AI and regulatory readiness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leadership will benefit significantly from the desire to learn new things<\/strong>. \u00a0There are aspects of Data Governance that echo the sounds of Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM required leadership to learn new methods of operation. Industry data people have shied away from engaging the highest level. We think that needs to change. We must engage. They must also engage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Change management is a discipline that our industry largely ignores.<\/strong>\u00a0Data governance requires change. The industry needs to focus on behavior changes and embedding governance into everyday work without unnecessary disruption.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Governance that doesn\u2019t drive measurable business value is doomed to fail.<\/strong>\u00a0Every governance initiative must be directly tied to outcomes like improved customer experience or reduced risk \u2013 or it won\u2019t stick. This isn\u2019t revolutionary; Marketing, HR, and Accounting are all enabling functions held accountable for results. Governance must be no different. Success demands alignment and intentionality, not avoidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Using Our Influence to Drive Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We are done watching data governance be misunderstood and misapplied. So are many of our peers. The call to action must shift the conversation, cut through the noise, and start treating governance like the required business capability it truly is.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As recognized leaders in the industry, we are committed to using our platforms, experience, and networks to reframe how governance is discussed and implemented. Our operating models for DG must facilitate and accelerate organizations\u2019 cultures, and readiness. Data governance must be aligned with organization strategy. AI, data-driven decision-making, and digital transformation demand governance that is practical, adaptable, and directly tied to business success.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The call to action is this. Data leaders, executives, vendors, and practitioners need to hear a new narrative. Leadership is the audience. They do not only want to hear about better reports, the need for metadata, or the wonder of a data catalog. We need to look up from our shoes, look them in the eye, communicate more effectively, and educate. This will mean repeated statements to an unwilling audience. \u201cThe world has changed. Leadership needs to monitor data assets and support better data behaviors \u2013 or you will never be fully data-driven. \u201c<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There will be many opportunities in the coming months to weigh in. \u00a0It is time to stop treating governance as an afterthought, or as an obstacle, a means to make a quick sale, or even as a new, miraculous panacea \u2013 and start making it the business-critical, required capability it was always meant to be.<\/p>\n<p>Signed. <em>John Ladley<\/em> and <em>Bob Seiner<\/em><\/p>\n<p>You can find a downloadable version of <a href=\"https:\/\/kikconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Ladley-and-Seiner-Resetting-the-Data-Governance-Narrative-FINAL-040125.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"external\">our call to action here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can find a larger and <a href=\"https:\/\/kikconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Resetting-the-Data-Governance-Narrative-040125.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"external\">easier-to-read version of the graphic here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Joint Statement from John Ladley &amp; Robert S. Seiner: For years, we have watched data governance be misrepresented, over-complicated, and \u2013 let\u2019s be honest \u2013 over-cooked. Organizations struggle with ineffective implementations, leadership resists investing in governance, and practitioners find themselves caught between rigid compliance mandates and the realities of how data is used. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":447,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Resetting the Data Governance Narrative<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Resetting the Data Governance Narrative\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Joint Statement from John Ladley &amp; Robert S. Seiner: For years, we have watched data governance be misrepresented, over-complicated, and \u2013 let\u2019s be honest \u2013 over-cooked. 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(Bob) Seiner is well recognized and respected in the information asset management industry (covering data, information, content, and knowledge management) for his tremendous commitment to collecting, recording, and sharing information about successful practices. Mr. Seiner is the President and Principal Consultant of KIK Consulting &amp; Educational Services, an information management consulting firm that focuses on cost-effective\/practical solutions &amp; education in data and meta-data management, data governance and stewardship programs, content, and knowledge management. Mr. Seiner holds an Adjunct Faculty member position at the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in their CDataO and Data-Driven Leadership post-graduate certification programs. 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