Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to come up with a list of skills that a good Data Governance consultant needs. Not necessarily an exhaustive list, but a good jumping off platform for anyone thinking about a career in this field. My goal was to keep to a manageable (and achievable) list, but it was proving challenging. I decided to open the floor to my network on LinkedIn and I wasn’t quite prepared for the tsunami of replies…

It turns out that this is a very subjective subject and if you don’t believe me, I have a 150-comment long thread to back me up!

What should be a simple list of core skills, quickly turned into a long list of wishes, someone even suggested that a good Data Governance consultant was actually a bit of a Unicorn! And if I was to list every single skill, trait or attribute suggested as part of the discussion I might be inclined to agree, because truth be told, there was even one or two suggestions that do not necessarily apply to me, as someone with years of experience in data governance.

My own list started out like this:

· Communication skills (both oral and written)

· Influencing skills

· Listening skills

· Creativity and innovation

· Observation skills

· Problem-solving and strategic planning ability

· Analytical skills

· Flexibility

· Ability to cope with pressure and challenges

· Understanding the client’s business environment

One big talking point was whether or not a good data governance consultant needs industry specific experience. One connection described it as a “top requirement”. They argued that this was different from 'understanding the client’s environment'. However, I'm not sure that it should be. As a data governance consultant, your client has a company full of people who have the relevant industry specific experience for you to draw on.

Another very interesting suggestion that popped up a few times what the ability to be a good data storyteller. Other suggestions included passion, personality, a good understanding of change management, negotiation skills, being pragmatic and logistical… and even a good sense of humour!

My own list, which I already felt was a little too long, quickly turned into a very long and quite possibly unachievable list of skills.

So, what does all this mean? Is it impossible to find a good data governance coach? Or that it’s even harder to become a good data governance coach? No! But what it does do is illustrate just how hard a data governance consultant role can be.

You face the usual challenges of doing data governance, you need to be experienced in doing data governance plus you need to have a whole host of skills to do the job. Simply, it’s not for the faint hearted!

That is why I have decided to launch the Data Governance Coach Academy for Data Governance consultants and contractors. This exciting new venture will give you access to one full year of The Data Governance Coach support including access to all of my online courses; three hours of one-to-one coaching per quarter; tailored training and access to resources plus some successful candidates may be invited to join the Data Governance Coach Associate pool at the end of the programme.

More information on the Data Governance Coach Academy will be released soon, so watch out for that! And if you want to be the first to know when it is launched just click here.

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