You’re Already Doing Data Governance (You Just Don’t Know It Yet)

When people hear "data governance," most assume it means launching a new initiative. Something big. Expensive. Bureaucratic.

But here’s the reality:

You’re already doing governance. Every time someone asks, “Where do I find that data?” or “Who approves this?” or “Can I trust this number?” — that's governance in action.

It’s not about starting from zero. It’s about naming the work you’re already doing and making it more intentional.

What Governance Actually Looks Like Today

• A product manager manually fixes reports every month because no one owns the source.

• A BI developer is creating a dashboard for one team that contradicts another's view.

• A data analyst second-guessing metrics because definitions change by department.

• A senior leader asking for better visibility... and getting five different answers.

These aren’t tech problems. They’re governance symptoms.

Don’t Automate the Chaos

We see a lot of teams go straight to tooling:

"Let’s implement a catalog."
"Let’s roll out a data mesh."
"Let’s stand up a center of excellence."

 But without shared understanding and clear decision-making, you’re just automating the chaos.

Governance isn’t a tool. It’s a function. A habit. A social contract about how you use data to run your business.

Where to Start

Ask these questions:

• What governance work is already happening (even informally)?

• Who’s stepping in to fix things when the process breaks?

• What decisions are being made without clarity?

You’re not trying to install governance. You’re trying to reveal it — and then reinforce it.

Final Thought

You don’t need to launch a massive program to get started. You need to recognize that governance is already happening — and you have a choice:

Let it remain invisible (and inconsistent). Or shine a light on it and help it grow.

Because the perfect place to start is somewhere.

That’s progress. Actually.