At some point during the initial phase of the data governance initiative, the team charged with designing the program will need to solicit and receive executive support. For many people this is a challenging prospect, and one that can leave managers and individual contributors wondering, “What do we do?”
Gaining executive support for continuing initiatives such as data governance is possible, but there are some important points that every data management professional should know and apply to secure and retain that essential element: active, continuing executive support.
Characteristics of Effective Executive Support
Support must be practical and operative, demonstrated through:
- Dedicated budget allocation
- Committed staff resources
- Implemented and sustained decisions
Critical business issues that drive action:
- High-impact organizational challenges
- Complex, interconnected problems
- Strategic imperatives requiring immediate attention
Long-term value creation through:
- Sustainable strategic outcomes
- Risk mitigation and compliance
- Measurable business impact
Deep stakeholder insight through:
- Executive mindset analysis
- Resistance vs. support assessment
- Tailored value propositions
Understanding Active Support
Executive support must be active. Webster’s Dictionary defines “active” as an adjective meaning “characterized by movement rather than by contemplation or speculation” and “marked by present operation.” When talking about executive support, the adjective “active” is most important, since it demonstrates that the support is practical (releasing money and other resources) and operative (something has been allowed to happen – formation or continuance of the program). Many data governance initiatives have failed or stagnated due to the lack of active support. The program was given passive support (e.g., nodding heads) but no actions occurred as a result (no sustained sources of funds were allotted, no staff committed to the tasks, no decisions implemented and continued, etc.)
It is crucial to identify the essential reasons for implementing data governance in the organization. Jack Steele, of Active Strategy, calls this acknowledging the “Burning Platform” – a single, serious, complex, well-known business issue that negatively affects critical high-level outcomes. Each data governance initiative will have one or two “Burning Platforms” and the team’s job is to identify it, articulate it and explain why the proposed data governance program will address / resolve that problem. Without the “Burning Platforms” as impetus, the chances for garnering active executive support are slim.
Strategic Focus
Effective data governance programs focus on the strategic view, so that the solutions to the “Burning Platforms” demonstrate that the data governance initiative will provide long-term value and solve organizational challenges.
Analyzing Benefits and Competition
Distinguish any benefits each executive may desire or perceive for the program – categorize them and estimate a value for each benefit. Become acquainted with any competing organizations’ data governance program, in the industry or in respected organizations outside the industry. List the reasons cited for their successful programs, including their “Burning Platforms” if they are published or discernible through discussions with subject matter experts. Discover what each executive believes the organization’s successful data governance program would look like – and understand which parts of those visions would be included in the organization’s data governance program.
Understanding the Executive Audience
Successful data management and data governance efforts know their audiences. The program teams research the perceptions, concerns, and barriers to acceptance, and identify the existing levels of commitment or resistance to the data governance concept for each of the executives being asked to support the initiative. This research is usually performed as part of a data governance assessment. Some leaders exhibit strong support, some will be resistant, and most will be somewhere in-between these two extremes. For each executive, recognize his or her perceived barriers to approving and supporting the data governance program – address each as clearly as possible and examine the costs of not implementing or not continuing data governance.
Addressing Common Executive Concerns
Getting executive buy-in for data governance requires understanding and proactively addressing typical objections. Here’s how to handle the most frequent concerns:
Cost and ROI Hesitation
Change resistance often manifests itself as budgetary concerns. While executives may view data initiatives primarily as cost centers, highlight how improved data quality generates measurable financial returns through reduced errors, increased efficiency, and better decision-making.
Time and Resource Investment
Frame governance programs in terms of resource optimization rather than resource drain. Demonstrate how standardized processes actually save time by eliminating redundant work and reducing data cleanup efforts.
Implementation Complexity
Break down the program into the following manageable phases:
- Start with a focused pilot project
- Document early successes
- Scale gradually based on results
- Adjust the approach using feedback
Change Management
Acknowledge that organizational change creates natural resistance. Address this through:
- Clear communication of benefits
- Regular progress updates
- Celebration of quick wins
- Recognition of team contributions
Compliance and Risk Management
Transform risk-focused conversations into opportunities. While compliance matters, emphasize how proper data governance creates strategic advantages beyond regulatory requirements.
To maintain momentum for data initiatives, establish clear metrics for success and regularly showcase tangible improvements. This evidence-based approach helps convert initial skepticism into sustained support.
Building the Business Case for Data Governance
A compelling business case for data governance must align with strategic priorities and demonstrate clear business benefits. Organizations increasingly rely on data driven decisions to maintain a competitive edge, making data governance a key aspect of business strategy. When presenting to senior executives, focus on how a robust data governance framework drives better business outcomes through multiple channels:
Risk and Compliance Benefits
A governed data environment significantly strengthens risk management capabilities. Effective data governance serves as a foundation for:
- Reducing the likelihood and impact of data breaches
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
- Protecting sensitive information assets
- Supporting audit requirements
Operational Excellence
Data governance directly impacts operational efficiency through:
- Improved data quality for decision-making
- Streamlined data integration processes
- Enhanced data modeling capabilities
- Reduced duplicate efforts across departments
Business Growth and Innovation
Quality data provides the foundation for:
- Digital transformation initiatives
- Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics
- New business model development
- Customer satisfaction improvements
Measurable Outcomes
To secure executive buy in, quantify benefits through:
- Cost savings from reduced data redundancy
- Resource allocation optimization
- Risk reduction metrics
- Positive outcomes from pilot projects
Data stewards and data professionals should share success stories from similar organizations to demonstrate real world examples of these benefits. This strengthens the business case by showing how data governance impacts both immediate operational needs and long-term business growth objectives.
Strategic Value of Data Governance
Data Governance as a Strategic Business Asset
Successful organizations recognize data governance as more than a compliance requirement – it’s a strategic business asset that drives competitive advantage through high-quality data and effective data governance. When presenting to the managing director and key stakeholders, focus on how data governance addresses fundamental business problems while enabling future growth:
Strategic Collaboration
- Breaks down silos between departments by establishing common data standards
- Enables data experts and business units to work together effectively
- Creates clear accountability for data quality issues
Decision-Making Excellence
- Provides accurate data for strategic planning
- Supports rapid response to market changes
- Enables data-driven innovation through reliable insights
Operational Impact
- Resolves persistent data quality problems through standardized processes
- Reduces redundant efforts across teams
- Improves efficiency through centralized data management
Competitive Positioning
- Accelerates time-to-market for new initiatives
- Enhances customer experience through better data quality
- Positions the organization to scale data operations efficiently
To address potential challenges, successful programs identify key stakeholders early on and then align data governance frameworks with specific business objectives. This approach helps other stakeholders understand the connection between data governance and business success, making it far easier to secure sustained executive support.
Data governance leaders should emphasize how their initiatives enable the organization to leverage data as a strategic asset. By demonstrating clear links between governance activities and business outcomes, teams can build stronger cases for executive buy-in and ongoing investment in governance capabilities.
Building a Data-Driven Culture
Senior management must recognize that establishing data literacy across all data citizens strengthens its organizational capabilities. Through effective data modelling and information management practices, organizations can transform raw data into meaningful business value. Leadership support plays a vital role in fostering this cultural shift.
Enhancing Stakeholder Trust
High-quality data serves as the cornerstone of stakeholder confidence. When upper management demonstrates a commitment to data governance policy, it signals the organization’s commitment to excellence. Involving stakeholders throughout the implementation process ensures their pain points are addressed while building sustained buy-in for data.
Driving Continuous Growth
The exponential growth of data means organizations must adapt their approaches. Senior managers who effectively communicate expected outcomes help align data governance with broader business objectives. This strategic alignment enables:
- Streamlined risk mitigation strategies
- Enhanced business goals achievement
- Accelerated continuous improvement cycles
Creating Long-term Impact
Executive sponsorship of data governance initiatives delivers compelling benefits across the organization. Through key points focused on business value, organizations can establish robust frameworks that support:
- Improved decision-making processes
- Strengthened competitive positioning
- Enhanced operational excellence
- Sustainable growth opportunities
The combination of executive priorities and structured data governance approaches positions organizations to address poor data quality while fostering innovation and scalability.
Marketing Data Governance to Executives
Productive data governance programs develop a marketing program for data governance with the executives as the audience. Executives focus on financial and business issues, especially revenue generation and cost reduction. The marketing to the executives should include points for each executive’s perception and concern, demonstrate the business and financial impact of the data governance program to the organization and outline the incremental view of establishing and sustaining data governance. “Incremental” is important since 90+% of successful data governance programs are implemented incrementally – and not with a “big bang” approach. Therefore, all communications with executives should stress both the benefits of the incremental approach and the fact that such an approach will require sustained support in funds and staff time.
Articulate clearly the expected return on investment (ROI) for the program, and show how that ROI will be earned incrementally. The tactical and strategic values of the data governance program may be evident to the planning team, but may not be clear to executives. Explain why they should fund this program, possibly using funds planned for another initiative that involves data management, metadata management, data quality, etc. The return on investment of data governance often covers several other enterprise data management domains, especially metadata management and data quality.
Concisely summarize what is needed from the executive team, and reasons for those needs. Do not adopt a purely informational tone – ask for what is needed, specifically, every time someone from the data governance planning team has contact with an executive. The planning team should identify exactly what is needed / desired and all requests for “support” should be stated with these concrete needs.
Remember that each chance to interact with one or more executives offers a chance to sell the concepts of data governance and express the successes the program has earned to that point. Maintaining the executive support is one of the main responsibilities of the data governance program team, and should not be neglected at any point in the life of the program.
Conclusion
Following these points can lead to gathering and preserving active executive support for a data governance program. In the final analysis, gaining and sustaining executive support is one of the most important activities for ensuring the success of a data governance program.
