Defining value
As you are starting to formulate your vision for the future, it is important you take into account all the input you receive from the stakeholders you interact with. As we work toward building your business case, building a coalition of support, and building a team throughout the next few chapters, it is important to note that no two companies will have a consistent message or vision for success. You will need to address each opportunity with fresh eyes. Despite having led data transformations in three Fortune 500 companies, each data strategy I have had the opportunity to lead has required a unique perspective. Companies are on their own journey to excellence, and even the most established firms have work to do to improve their data governance capabilities. You must assess each situation from this perspective, or you will risk applying the wrong strategy to the situation before you start.
Who to meet with
As you prepare to customize your vision for the company, build your list of stakeholders thoughtfully, as introduced in the preceding section:
- What are the business divisions?
- Who leads each division? Do they have a chief of staff or chief operating officer you should meet with also?
- What corporate functions do the stakeholders have? Who leads each one?
- How does funding get disbursed in an organization? Seek to understand the process and who influences the release of funds.
All of the individuals you list out in response to the preceding questions become key individuals to meet as you prepare your vision, your business case, and begin to socialize your vision. Many of these individuals may become data domain executives in the future.
Figure 1.8 – Example alignment of domain model with corporate organizational chart
Important note
CDAO, CPO, CMO, and so on will also have domain managers, data stewards, and technical stewards aligned with them.
During your first interaction, simply listen to what their business priorities are. This is not the time for a solution. You are gathering facts and opinions from them so that you can use that as input to your future vision. Take copious notes. Before ending the meeting, ask for a follow-up in 4–6 weeks, where you will bring forward the mission, vision, and objectives for your team from their input and feedback.
Important note
In your organization, your data domain executives should be no more than your CEO-1 or CEO-2. No matter how large your organization is (50 or 500,000), if your data domain executive is too far from the top of the organization, your program will dilute. You must create a value proposition that clearly defines why the senior leaders must drive this body of work together. If it is pushed too far down in your organization, you will risk losing the prioritization, funding, and focus of your C-suite. Ideally, the individuals reporting to the CEO would be your data domain executives. In larger organizations (i.e., 50,000 or more employees), a CEO minus two may be appropriate.
Crafting a powerful why statement
A powerful vision statement is not exclusively for the chief data & analytics office but for the data and analytics capabilities of the company as a whole. When drafting the vision statement, be clear and concise about your aspirations and goals for the future use of data and analytics for the company. Consider the following:
- What is it you aspire to do?
- Who will help you achieve it?
- How will you know when you’ve arrived?
A powerful vision statement should be clear, concise, and easy to understand and communicate. It should be to the point, and jargon should not be used (no “data speak”). The statement should be focused on the future, inspirational, and aspirational, bringing all stakeholders together to work towards this imagined future together. Make it easy, short, and memorable. It should be able to be committed to memory easily. While being future-focused, it should be achievable and in alignment with the company’s values.
Important note
Let’s consider an example. Perhaps you are the new Chief Data and Analytics Officer at a leading insurance company. You might craft a vision statement such as:
Insights are embedded in the flow of business with highly trusted, relevant, and curated data at the speed of our need to proactively wow our customers with delightful and meaningful moments that matter. We trust our data, and our customers trust us.
Customizing the message
As you craft your vision statement, bring it with you to your one-on-one meetings with the leaders you identified and met with. Share it with them individually, and ask for their feedback:
- Does it make sense for the company’s strategic direction?
- Is it visionary?
- Will it inspire your team members and drive meaningful focus to the future?
- Is it meaningful for your needs?
- What would you change?
Listen and incorporate feedback as you review with these individuals. The degree to which you remain open-minded and take into account their input will directly impact their buy-in. This does not mean you must incorporate each iota of input, but you should consider it thoughtfully and loop back with each individual, thanking them for their support and explaining what you changed, what you didn’t, and why. It is critical to close the loop with any changes you did not make, carefully explaining why they didn’t make the cut. This transparency will build trust with your stakeholders, which you can build upon over time.
After you have revised and have finalized your vision statement, it is time to bring it forward for final approval. I suggest you incorporate an approval in your enterprise data committee meeting to further establish that the vision is not just that of the chief data & analytics office, but of the entire company. By involving the company in this exercise, you are setting a precedent that data is part of everyone’s responsibility, although the CD&AO is ultimately accountable.
