What is ownership?
Hey, happy Friday!
In this week’s newsletter I write about what ownership is (it’s complicated!). There’s also links to articles on closing the context gap, getting your data team a seat at the table, and creating data & AI use cases.
What is ownership?
Ownership is a complicated thing.
Often people are assigned ownership, for example by having their name listed as such in a spreadsheet or policy document.
But is doing that enough to make them an owner?
Do they understand in enough detail what they are owning, so they can contribute to any discussions and decisions about it? If they don’t, it’s unlikely this assignment of ownership will have the desired effect.
Do they have the ability to make changes to whatever it is they are owning, and the autonomy to do so without seeking further approval? If not, it’s hard for them to be an effective owner, even if they have the best intentions.
Are they incentivised to seek the best outcomes for what they own? Without incentives they will likely only do the minimum required to avoid any negative consequences for themselves.
Without understanding, control, and incentives, they won’t feel a real sense of ownership, no matter what the spreadsheet says.
Interesting links
Closing the context gap: An ontology + LLM approach to data modernization by Zichuan Xiong (Thoughworks)
This is an interesting approach to improving context.
Why Your Data Team Doesn’t Have A Seat At The Table by Ben Rogojan
Great post on how to have a real business impact. It’s what we all say we want to do, but it’s easier said than done.
Creating Data & AI Use Cases by Dylan Anderson
A good reminder that it’s not just about building, but building the right thing.
Being punny 😅
My friend Tony asked me not to say his name backwards. I asked, “Why not?”
Upcoming events
- Data Community Conference, September, Online
Thanks! If you’d like to support my work…
Thanks for reading this weeks newsletter — always appreciated!
If you’d like to support my work consider buying my book, Driving Data Quality with Data Contracts, or if you have it already please leave a review on Amazon.
Enjoy your weekend.
Andrew