I’m passionate about the everyday user because I really am the everyday user. I don’t have a data background – instead, I’ve been in training for over 15 years. So when I was asked to switch roles to data governance, I knew it would be a unique experience and I’d have a unique perspective. Now, I tell people that my job is to teach others to understand data. It was important to me to make the journey toward data literacy interactive and fun (think scavenger hunts, raffles and even brain dates).
I’ll see you at Data Citizens ‘22
When I made the switch to data governance, I kept my focus on the user and never lost sight of my pain points. I was constantly taking notes to define and understand what I was seeing and hearing. I asked a lot of questions and ultimately taught myself the tools, never forgetting that most users are like me – they don’t have a data background either.
That’s why I am looking forward to sharing my data journey with you in San Diego at DC’22. It’s been an adventure, and I have some steps that have helped me drive adoption enterprise-wide. Here are a few of my favorite:
Start with a glossary
In my line of work, there are so many acronyms, especially when it comes to healthcare and medical terminology. I would jot them down in meetings to ask later, and getting the answers wasn’t easy. I could see how badly we needed a glossary, so I worked hard to create one.
Eventually, we had hundreds of acronyms complete with definitions. It was a great way to get users interested, involved and really relying on the tool.
Control K – It’s like magic
This is how I get so many people to adopt Collibra. Everyone should have access to Collibra for Desktop. It’s part of the platform – but it’s really not used enough. If there’s something you don’t understand, highlight it, hit Control K, and it will show you what it means.
Always engage your customer
I try to make it interactive and make it fun. For instance, I created Brain Date Sessions. Every other week, people come together and we teach each other.
When I first started this, it was fairly quiet, people asked a few questions, and then it really picked up momentum. I teach a different feature each time, but it’s really about sharing solutions with each other and the latest improvements.
I also created scavenger hunts, and whoever decides to compete and complete them gets entered into a raffle. So many people have told me that they learned the tool this way. It helped them understand the features and they really enjoyed it too. Ultimately, I believe in educating – and being there for – the customer.
I hope to see you in San Diego to share ideas and keep the momentum going.
***
Jennifer Montgomery started the first Health Care User Group in Collibra’s Data Citizens Community. After two years, her group now includes more than 25 companies and 50 professionals who meet monthly to trade ideas and brainstorm solutions. Jennifer has used Collibra at two different companies and is now a Data Governance Analyst at Delta Dental of California. She will be sharing her unique data journey at Data Citizens ‘22: The Data Intelligence Conference.
