"For me, it really goes back to basic human needs, almost."

How can the sense of community support Data Professionals? We dive deep into this question with Tiankai Feng, a prominent figure in data governance and the Data Strategy and Data Governance lead at ThoughtWorks Europe. In this season four premiere of MetaDAMA, Tiankai shares his unique journey and how his passion for music plays a pivotal role in his professional and personal life. His story underscores the multidimensional nature of data professionals and the importance of a supportive community.

Building and nurturing internal communities is crucial. Tiankai and Winfried discuss how data governance conferences serve as therapeutic spaces, offering more than just professional development—they provide emotional and communal support. We explore various community models like grassroots movements and rotational leadership, highlighting the indispensable role of leadership in fostering these spaces. Recognizing and valuing community leaders is essential for sustaining these supportive networks within organizations.

Lastly, we delve into practical strategies for building strong data management communities. From integrating community introductions into onboarding processes to using these groups as recruitment tools, we cover it all. We also examine how company culture shapes the type of communities that flourish and the support provided by external organizations like DAMA. Joining communities helps alleviate isolation, share solutions, and foster a connected environment. Tune in to learn how to make community engagement a cornerstone of data governance and elevate both personal and professional growth.

Here are my key takeaways:
Communities in organizations

• Community is needed as a counterpart to the transactional behavior in a workplace.
• Communities of Practice is an established model, that comes from a technical side, methodology focuses.
• Communities can create new lines of communication, that can help spread a sense of belonging in an organization, beyond a specific department or team.
• Leadership needs to accept that being in a Community is also part of the job.
• Community leaders need recognition and to be valued for their work.
• The «smartest person in the room» should not be the leader of a Community - this can turn a community into a lecture setting.
• Ensure that organizational hierarchies are «flattened» in a Community, to support physiological safety and freedom to speak.
• Ensure you have some rules of engagement or code of conduct in place.
• Breakout groups can be a way to get everyone to participate actively in the Community.
• Leadership plays an important role to promote Communities in an organization.
• Well functioning Communities of Practice can become a selling point for recruitment.

DAMA as a Community

• A Community for Data professionals outside their organizations.
• The most outstanding impact DAMA can have is networking in a broad community, both local/national, but also internationally across sectors.
• There is an element of mentioning and coaching that a community of this size can offer.
• Another factor can be talent-sourcing: both for organizations, but also for job-seekers.
• Upscaling and learning are a great part of the DAMA Community, also including the CDMP certification.
• You need to find your balance between domain or sector specific communities and large data communities like DAMA.

SOME Community

• You need to be conscious about what you are reading on SOME.
• It can be a great place to provoke some new thoughts and get perspective on your work.
• There is certainly an entertainment factor to using SOME. Humor can heal a lot, and laughing about challenges we face as Data folks is like therapy.