Data diplomacy
We work with a deluge of data on a daily basis. Data is practically free for the taking if you know where to look. Data comes in all shapes and forms, from bits to raw text to images and everything in between.
Yet, you never seem to get access to that data that you want. Groups within enterprises tend to hoard data internally. Data is used as a competitive advantage within groups in organizations, in the guise of governance, security, standards, domain and other road blocks. However, its important to understand that it is not the data that's the competitive advantage, but the value-add information that is derived from that data. Information is derived by individuals and teams who are willing to invest time, energy, patience and diligence in extracting "gems" and "connect" the pieces that drive competitive advantage for the firm. Data in its raw form is just bytes sitting in an electronic storage room, waiting to be set free.
Don't get me wrong. Certain types of data needs to be protected and there are strict governance policies around the protection of such data. Customer and client data, medical records, personal data and government classified data fall into this narrow category. We should and need to protect this data lest it be abused for nefarious purposes.
Back to the subject theme. Data diplomacy is a tool that can and should be leveraged to enable competitive behavior within an organization. Specific groups have competitive advantages that give them opportunities to deliver specific products of value to the organization. However, these groups don't necessarily have access to the data. In these instances, it is beneficial for groups to use diplomacy to trade in data. "I will provide you with unfettered log information if you provide with me trading volumes so that I can forecast trading growth", as an example. The trade (no pun intended) has to be mutually beneficial and both teams have to come away from the diplomacy in a win-win situation or as in any diplomatic effort it is bound to fail, with the team on the losing side walking away with a resolve not to trade again under any circumstance or do so with suspicion. This does happen occasionally as we observe with political diplomacy, but within organizations, the environment is bound by corporate policies and corporate culture.
Yet, we do not follow the path of diplomacy often enough and it is not uncommon to find teams that are not given access to data, and therefore set about finding forms and methods to generate data that will allow them to target the information goals they set for themselves. You can see where I am going with this statement. Soon, we have data that is duplicated, ungoverned and overlapped with what is and should be available in the first place. What follows is political back doors dealing and conflict.
Organizations ought to give diplomacy a chance with data as leverage. I believe we all win and the enterprise comes out ahead.
