Michael Moore, a First San Francisco Partners Senior Data Governance Consultant, helps organizations define key business concepts and connect them to real-world data to support better data management and governance.
With a background in library science and a passion for asking the right questions, Michael brings a thoughtful, collaborative approach to every engagement, whether developing glossaries or helping clients shape data governance programs.
In this Meet the Team profile, Michael shares what prepared him for a career in consulting, the advice he often gives others, how singing in choruses brings him joy — and more.
If you had to describe your FSFP role to a third-grader, how would you explain it?
Michael Moore joined our FSFP team in March 2019.
I help name and define the key “business concepts” used at a company. (Business concepts are like the big ideas or important things a company always talks about, like people, products and money.) Then, I help identify those concepts in that company’s data — the information they track about customers, sales, etc. I also listen to the hopes and concerns of business people and technical people and help create plans that can bring both groups closer to good ways to manage and govern their data.
What’s your consulting style?
When developing a business glossary, my goal is to strike a balance between discovery and detail. Discovery involves getting to know clients, understanding their needs, asking questions and reviewing documentation. The detail work includes crafting terms and definitions for business concepts, gathering feedback and ensuring the definitions resonate with clients and support their work.
When helping to develop data governance programs, my style is to capture as many of a client’s ideas and concerns as I can. Then, I look for the connections and relations between different teams, topics and data sources. An example is making connections between a master data management effort trying to clarify its scope and an architecture model that provides a stable structure to use and extend.
What’s the most valuable career advice you have ever received and often give to others?
Ask questions early and often. Our CEO, Kelle O’Neal, gave me this advice during my interview to work at FSFP, and I have given it to several people since then. Before I spend hours struggling with a concept or trying to find a good example, I figure out who I can ask about it. Often, they can get me what I need or redirect my efforts so I can accomplish what is needed.
What part of working at home do you find most enjoyable? Conversely, what do you find most challenging?
A huge benefit of working from home is being here to support my family when they need a ride or a helping hand and having the flexibility to get my work done around these moments of support.
My biggest challenge with working from home is making connections with coworkers, both from FSFP and from clients. Being co-located at previous jobs made it much easier to connect with people and have the side conversations that often lead to insights and opportunities. From home, I have to create opportunities to make these connections and spend the time and energy crafting questions and comments that keep conversations going.
What prepared you most for a career in consulting/data governance/data management?
Taking courses in library science — especially learning the techniques of “the reference interview” — helped me recognize that follow-up questions often provide context that changes the meaning of initial responses. This has helped me follow up when I get an answer like, “We don’t have data documentation.” For many engagements, following up on that answer leads to useful responses like, “… but we do have our analyst’s informal notes about what the columns mean,” which becomes very helpful in clarifying terms and their meaning.
How did you find out about the job opening at FSFP?
I sent a message to my Facebook friends saying I was looking for work as an information analyst. Gretchen Burnham, a friend from my college days, realized the skill set I was describing fit FSFP rather well. She told me to apply and to meet her and Kelle when they came to Boston for the DGIQ conference that month. Kelle and I chatted, and I was on a client engagement within a week.
When helping to develop data governance programs, my style is to capture as many of a client’s ideas and concerns as I can.
What’s your favorite activity after hours when you’re not working with FSFP clients?
I love to sing! I’m in two choruses, one singing traditional choral music and one singing barbershop songs. I enjoy spending time in a group with a shared goal and having a choir director who can refine our efforts. There’s satisfaction in tuning a chord just right and in following a director as their movements lead a chorus to wondrous sounds.
When Senior Data Governance Consultant Michael Moore (pictured far left) isn’t focused on data governance, he brings his musical talents to the forefront, singing in a barbershop choir and also in a traditional chorus. One aspect he enjoys a lot: “There’s satisfaction in tuning a chord just right, and in following a director as their movements lead a chorus to wondrous sounds.”
We hope you enjoyed the latest installment in our Meet the Team series. Check out Michael’s other team members to learn more about the talented people who work at our data consulting firm.
