We can have all the rules in place. We can even know where all the data is supposed to be. But reality is often different. Something happens and a workaround is required. The plan and the rules are altered ‘just this once’. So where does it leave us? How do we have a realistic data inventory?
Farms in the UK are meant to have an accident or incident book in which farmers record accidents that happen. I’m not entirely sure what the purpose of it is, but wonder if an ‘incident book’ of some sort might help capture when rules or plans are altered ‘just this once’.
However, underlying it all is trust. Trust is critical. Most of us won’t report incidents if we are worried we might receive backlash or negative consequences in return. Often, we need positive consequences or incentives in place to help us want to report. What’s the benefit to me or my project? Or in value proposition speak, what’s the gain I will receive? And given that most of us are still human, the benefit or gain needs to be fairly immediate. It can’t be too far in the future or only in rare circumstances.
Working out the mechanics and logical ‘how to’s’ of many tasks, including data inventory, is quite straightforward and easy. The hard part is answering the ‘why’ and the ‘what’s in it for me’. Sometimes this is called marketing. More often it’s called change. And logic plays a minor role in change, stories, emotion, and trust are the leading roles. And yet, too often we focus on the minors.
The choice is up to us.
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