Monthly Book Feature: "Unlinked"
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Meenu Howland, a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in data strategy, governance, and AI alignment, has authored a book titled "Unlinked: The Biggest Gap Your Business Never Knew About and the Unspoken Architecture That Will Fix It." The book offers valuable insights into change management in the context of data governance.
Howland's approach emphasizes the importance of aligning strategy with execution, highlighting that often the strategic intent exists but the necessary governance structures and relationships to enable change are missing or unlinked. She advocates for an activity-focused approach to change management, rather than a dedicated one, and her book provides practical guidance on how to achieve this.
The book is structured to help readers approach the concepts based on their specific roles, a method referred to as "reading the book through your lens." This approach aids in customizing change efforts tailored to various stakeholders in data governance programs. Throughout the book, real-life stories—both successes and failures—illustrate the practical impact of well-linked or unlinked organizational relationships on the success of data governance initiatives.
Howland introduces the concepts of "organizational relational governance" (ORG) and "organizational relationship architecture" (ORA), which are central to her change management approach. These concepts focus on linking organizational relationships and governance to bridge the gap between strategy and operational execution in data governance programs.
The book also emphasizes the importance of measures and metrics, as well as change management, in data governance programs. It provides guidance on implementing or repairing a data governance program, using the author's personal history and experience in data governance.
Meenu Howland is deeply committed to driving value through structure, inclusive thinking, and building systems that work in practice across departments, roles, and the ever-changing landscape of modern business. Her work spans industries including energy, finance, insurance, customer experience, and agriculture.
For those struggling with launching or finding that their existing data governance or data strategy initiatives are lacking, "Unlinked" is an excellent resource. It offers both theoretical guidance and practical examples to help practitioners implement or improve data governance effectively.
It is worth noting that while the book provides a wealth of information, more citations would enhance the reader's ability to verify the information presented. Nevertheless, "Unlinked" is a valuable addition to any data governance professional's library, offering practical insights and a fresh perspective on change management in the context of data governance.
[1] Information sourced from the book "Unlinked: The Biggest Gap Your Business Never Knew About and the Unspoken Architecture That Will Fix It" by Meenu Howland.
- Meenu Howland's book, "Unlinked," discusses the significance of data governance and data management in the context of data-and-cloud-computing, suggesting the importance of linking organizational relationships and governance structures to bridge the gap between strategic intent and operational execution.
- The book "Unlinked" by Meenu Howland offers guidance on implementing or repairing a data governance program, emphasizing the need for measures and metrics, change management, technology, and an activity-focused approach to change management, which can help those struggling with launching or improving their existing data governance initiatives.
