Governance step by step: start small, think big

The power of diversity

Involving people from different teams is invaluable. This will give you a full picture of:

• How they use workplaces.
• How they work together.
• Who they do it with.

By combining this knowledge with your company’s goals, you form a governance strategy based on both quantitative and qualitative data.

Bridge builders in governance

While mapping all (end) users, it is wise to also identify your “champions. They are employees you can think of as ambassadors of governance. They are behind the implementation of the strategy because they really see the benefits of the change. This makes them key drivers of a successful governance strategy. As a bridge between management, the IT department and end users, these employees are able to reduce the resistance of others. And you want to harness that power!

Three types of data you can’t ignore

Therefore, start by collecting three basic types of data. These contribute to a strong strategy with a better chance of success. It involves the following data:

Attitude data – You want to understand employee attitudes toward various Microsoft 365 workstations. What are people running into? Are there frustrations with inducting new team members? Is there easy access to the necessary workspaces? These data partly show the soft, social side. On the other hand, they also shed light on technological obstacles.

Behavioral data – Collect data by observing real situations, both physical and digital. How do users handle daily tasks? Are they creating duplicate content and why? How do they share information and what groups are they active in? Here you will discover, above all, where policies are needed, which tasks should be automated and where time savings can be made.

Data via our dashboard – Use these to identify ambassadors; end users who can help you on this journey. With our security and compliance dashboard, you can quickly see where your organization is not scoring well compared to the industry standard. It helps you decide what to focus on and why.

The power of diversity

Take advantage of the data collected. Because ambassadors within your organization who believe in the governance plan ánd propagate it? These are golden for the success of the rollout. As champions of change, they help share the workload and build trust among end users.

Encourage these people to share success stories and best practices. In this way, they challenge others to embrace the new approach. In doing so, communicate easily and use realistic scenarios from your own business environment.

Transparent communication and education

The success of any business is ultimately based on trust (in addition to financial health). You want to prevent employee resistance from turning into opposition. If the rollout is rigid, the risk of Shadow IT is very high. That means users are reaching for hardware and software that is outside the control of your IT department. And that carries risks.

A good start to governance…

Before you roll out your governance strategy, prepare materials to familiarize end users with new processes. Put everything in context. How do certain policies contribute to simplifying their work or securing the company? By continuously training in the proper use of Microsoft 365, you can:

• Increase security,
• Increase productivity,
• Increase satisfaction with the tools used,
• Increase adoption (and ultimately ROI),
• Improve employees’ digital experience.

Start small with big dreams

One of the biggest myths surrounding governance is that it has to be elaborate and huge, an endless document that no one really reads or implements. Therefore, we share some steps to start small:

• Start rolling out governance in a controlled environment or with a specific group of users.
• Set achievable goals and milestones to track progress and measure success.
• Gather feedback and insights from the rollout to refine the approach before you scale up to the entire organization.
• Celebrate early successes and communicate the positive results to generate enthusiasm and support for further expansion.

This approach ensures a smooth transition, promotes collaboration between IT teams and business users, and maximizes the benefits of a governance strategy through ALTA-ICT.