Monthly Publication Features: "Unlinked"
Meenu Howland, an industry veteran with over 15 years of experience in data strategy, governance, and AI alignment, has penned a new book titled Unlinked: The Biggest Gap Your Business Never Knew About and the Unspoken Architecture That Will Fix It. The book offers guidance on implementing or repairing an existing data governance program, especially for those who are struggling with launching or finding their initiatives lacking.
Howland's approach to data governance centers on addressing gaps between data strategy and execution. She introduces two novel concepts: organizational relational governance (ORG) and organizational relationship architecture (ORA). According to Howland, many organizations have strategies that remain "unlinked," meaning their governance efforts are disconnected and thus ineffective.
To help readers understand these gaps, Howland offers role-specific guidance on how to interpret and apply the book's concepts, which she refers to as "reading the book through your lens." The book is enriched with real-life stories that illustrate both the successes and failures of data governance initiatives, grounding the theoretical concepts in actual organizational contexts.
The book places emphasis on the importance of measures and metrics, as well as change management, in data governance programs. Howland stresses the importance of the activity above the dedicated approach to change management, referencing both ADKAR and Kotter. She also gives tips for readers to approach the concepts in the book based on their role.
Howland is deeply committed to driving value through structure, inclusive thinking, and building systems that work across departments and roles. She is the founder of Neuronova Consulting and has worked across various industries including energy, finance, insurance, customer experience, and agriculture. She also holds certifications in data management, business intelligence, and agile delivery.
While the current version of the book has some structural moments that make following along confusing at times, its strength lies in leveraging Howland's personal history and experience to guide the implementation or repair of data governance programs. The book is an excellent resource for folks who are struggling with launching or finding that their existing data governance or data strategy initiatives are lacking.
In summary, Howland's data governance approach is about linking strategy to effective organizational relationships and architecture to close governance gaps, making data governance actionable and aligned with business needs.
[1] Howland, M. (2021). Unlinked: The Biggest Gap Your Business Never Knew About and the Unspoken Architecture That Will Fix It. [2] Howland, M. (2021, January 1). Meenu Howland: Bridging the Gap Between Data, Process, and Business Outcomes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/meenhowland/2021/01/01/meenu-howland-bridging-the-gap-between-data-process-and-business-outcomes/?sh=539585c75f3b
- Meenu Howland's new book, Unlinked, offers insights on data governance and emphasizes the importance of linking strategy to effective organizational relationships and architecture, thereby addressing gaps in data management and ensuring alignment with business needs.
- In her book, Unlinked, data and cloud computing expert Meenu Howland proposes organizational relational governance (ORG) and organizational relationship architecture (ORA) as key concepts to strengthen data governance programs, focusing on measures, metrics, and change management.
