Your clients are resistant to new data governance standards. How can you convince them of the benefits?

Standards should be fit-for-purpose and have the perspective of practitioners. Don’t create standards that are generic and not contextual to the stakeholders or impacts. Explain the tangible business benefit and not from a purse Enterprise industry perspective.

Emphasize the risks of non-compliance and lax data governance, such as significant financial penalties, reputational damage, and security breaches. Outline how these risks can impact their business continuity and customer trust. By making the potential consequences tangible, clients can better appreciate the protective value of adopting new data governance standards.

Exemplify to stakeholders how robust data governance, along with accompanying standards, helps manage the unique risks and security challenges throughout the entire data lifecycle: from collection, storage, and access, to usage, sharing, archiving, and disposal.

Highlighting tangible benefits can shift perspectives. Demonstrate how enhanced data governance leads to improved data quality, which in turn boosts decision-making accuracy and operational efficiency. Show them real-world examples where robust data governance has reduced costs by minimizing data-related errors and ensuring regulatory compliance. Make it clear that these improvements directly contribute to their bottom line and competitive advantage.

Develop your change management plan, including trainings, knowledge sharing sessions, user feedback and so on. To make data governance standards stick you should walk your clients by the hand until they are able to walk alone. Make it a habit. At the same time reduce any obstacles and take into account user adoption and feedback. Also make sure to present a clear vision, strategy and roadmap so your client has least and less uncertainty and clearly sees the benefits

As data governance is dependent on people, processes, and technology, we cannot forget that people need to feel supported when adopting new practices. Resistance to change will be higher when people do not understand the rationale for the change, how it impacts them (or if those impacts are particularly averse), or what they need to do. Engaging stakeholders early and often is essential - not only as part of change management, but also to ensure the design of new processes is fit-for-purpose and makes sense within the business. Expect more 'hand holding' will be required as people adjust to the change and understand what it means for them. Provide plenty of information, and answer questions. Be receptive to feedback and improvement, too!

Engage your clients in the planning process to align new data governance standards with their specific business needs and concerns. By involving them actively, you can tailor solutions that address their unique challenges and priorities, fostering a sense of ownership and easing resistance. Collaborative planning not only builds trust but also enhances the perceived value and relevance of the new standards.

If stakeholders are resistant is because you did not explain what the new standards will bring to them. It's matter of winning their minds and hearts if you care about standards adoptions. Highlight the tangible benefits: improved data quality, enhanced security, and compliance with regulations, which reduce legal risks based on the issues they face NOW. Emphasize cost savings from avoiding data breaches and fines. Showcase similar case studies that saw increased efficiency and better decision-making through robust data governance. Offer pilot programs to demonstrate immediate benefits and provide training to ease the transition, addressing any concerns they have directly.