Strong SharePoint Governance = Strong SharePoint Wushu?
Yep.
Wǔshù literally means “martial art“. It is formed from the two words 武術: 武 (wǔ), meaning “martial” or “military” and 術 (shù), which translates into “discipline“, “skill” or “method. Thanks Wikipedia..
SharePoint Martial Discipline
is ideal. In many cases a team or organization will spend countless hours in meetings, drafting the perfect SharePoint/Information Governance only to it to die on the vine as it has no strength or discipline behind it. Let’s use the training components in Kung Fu in the same way for SharePoint:
Following components: basics, forms, applications and weapons; different styles place varying emphasis on each component, since this is just for fun, lets not get all stuck in the styles…..
Basics
Basics are made up of techniques, conditioning exercises, and stances. In Kung Fu this is commonly the area to focus on building muscle memory, strength, and good body mechanics. SharePoint should be no different. You want to focus on solid best practices, using business models, policies, strong methodology. Training is critical, if your users are not properly instructed, they cannot gain the skills needed to progress. The governance should outline theses basics, including terminology, training, goals, and roles and responsibilities.
Forms
In Kung Fu these are the Stances and repeated motions or forms that a person will master. SharePoint once again can benefit from this. Templates and Repeated processes, leveraging Site Templates, Libraries, Lists, Content Types, Forms, Workflows. The key to this is do not get creative and create new styles until you have MASTERED the basics. You governance should have language around customization and change, do not let your users go crazy, especially when they do not know the long term results.
Weapons
This of the weapons in most Kung Fu movies, swords, staves, bows, etc….The same can be said for SharePoint……Application or Add-ons can be brought in to increase your capabilities. These can be custom solutions, purchased tools and web parts, or just stuff you podge together in the lab. These can be great for productivity and make you look real good, but if you don’t know how to wield it you can cut off your foot, or in the worst case kill the guy next to you….SORRY BOB.
Make sure you governance takes into consideration the implementation, management, ownership, and growth of these solutions. Remember once you implement a tool and give it to your users it is like trying to pry and bottle away from a baby…no fun.
Application
So now you have a shiny new skill set, you have a Black Belt, you are the baddest man in the whole dang place…..really….have you actually fought anyone yet, or just been practicing in your basement. Same applies to your SharePoint Governance…..it might look so nice when you wrote it up, but now you have SharePoint in production and people are using it…..they want to do more, more, more…get ready to defend your governance. If you have not put teeth in your governance, if you do not have stakeholders willing to back it, if you do not have clear definition in the language it is the same as the guy who learns Kung Fu on the TV. He might look good, but the second he is challenged he crumbles.
Conclusion
Whether you are a Kung Fu Master or a SharePoint Administrator it is critical to remember, it is about an all around approach to your discipline. By not seeing or practicing all aspects you leave yourself vulnerable. SharePoint Governance is about preparation, documentation, Strong Basics, Forms, and Application….it is nice however to have some weapons to fall back on. Just don’t expect to beat every situation with a Sword, it might be a simple button click that wins the battle.
Remember would your SharePoint Kung Fu beat Chuck Norris…..NO are you kidding, but you might actually last more than 1 second.
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