When Leaders say no!

When the opportunity to implement a data literacy or data governance framework arises, the initial excitement is palpable. The prospect of enhancing data quality, saving company costs, and fostering a data-driven, value-added culture is inspiring. However, as the first week unfolds, the pragmatic challenges of implementing data governance and literacy become evident.

Choosing from a diverse array of tools within budget constraints, assessing employee needs, and forming a cross-functional team to gauge organizational maturity are integral steps. Despite the initial enthusiasm, the realization dawns that the implementation process is intricate and demanding.

In the face of such challenges, the need for a well-thought-out plan becomes paramount. Collaboration and support are essential, especially from leadership. The collaborative effort with leadership involves not only securing their support but also jointly championing the cause. However, what if, despite your best efforts, the leadership says no?

I encountered this scenario at a large client, leaving me with a sense of defeat after the meeting. Questions flooded my mind, hindering my ability to respond effectively. How could a leader not see the value in driving data governance? Why dismiss the importance of mastering data and data quality? Furthermore, how could a leader assert that investing time in data literacy for employees was not worthwhile? The most perplexing of all was the leader's preference for delegating this crucial topic to direct reports.

In the face of such setbacks, it's crucial to regroup and strategize. Understand the reservations of leadership, address concerns, and illustrate the long-term benefits of data governance and literacy. Sometimes, it's a matter of rephrasing the proposal, emphasizing tangible outcomes, and aligning the initiative with broader organizational goals. Persistence, coupled with a compelling argument, can turn a "no" into a "yes" when it comes to securing support for data-driven initiatives.

In the book Effective Data Storytelling by Brent Dykes, he brings up a great story, one similar to mine.   And this is where we have to take a step back and reassess the situation.    You have to note the challenges presented and document them, then research why they are "good" reasons.   Yep, agree with what was said and see if you can develop a different perspective, a different mental model.   

When you have this documented then review your assessments, surveys and maturity model.   Review what other priorities may be conflicting with what you want to do.   For example, if the organization is implementing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning ) tool!   This is a big financial bet and the decisions that drive it or determine it was successful will be or should be based on actual data. 

In my model, i assumed that everyone understood that Data Governance and Data Literacy would complement the success of the tool implementation.   My assumption was wrong!   Most, if not all of the people saw it as just more work being piled on.    I was simply not telling the story correctly.   I was not invoking the proper emotions. 

The new approach.   I schedule another meeting with this leader and pulled in a few colleagues to storyboard what I wanted to communicate.    I took into consideration, this time, what was the most important task, in this case the ERP system.   I then took all of the metrics that was used to sell the idea of the new ERP system and I showed in images and text how Governance could elevate these metrics or bets.    

After the second meeting I had agreement that Data Governance would benefit but the scope was narrowed to the Accounting capability until it showed success.   While not 100% "go for it" it was going in the correct direction.

Key Observations:

• Ask Why as many as three times to try and uncover the reason.

• Don't assume your leadership is completely knowledgeable of Data Governance

• Don't take the first no as the end answer.   Go back and rethink the situation and develop a better story.

• We are all busy and we need to consider the opportunity cost associated with our ask.

• Be bold, if the leader is saying no and alternatives have not helped the consider approaching another leader and ask for feedback.

Now if you want to take an analytical approach you could do an AB Testing with your leaders on the message you are trying to communicate. 

Resources you may want to try:

Dykes, B. (2020).  Effective Data Storytelling. How to drive change with data, narrative, and visuals.  Wiley 

Coursera,  Storytelling and influencing

DataCamp, for the beginner, Data Storytelling and Concepts  many courses to choose from on this platform.