In my Governance and Taxonomy (can't have one with out the other) workshops, I emphasize the idea that consensus is as important as content where corporate taxonomies are concerned. Bermuda has provided me a case in point. Is it better to drive on the right hand side of the road or the left? Truthfully I have no idea, but I know it is a very bad idea to ride on the right when everyone else is riding on the left.
(Shortly after my "near death" experience in St. George. Notice how sweaty I am!)
This morning I rented a scooter here in Bermuda. Here in Bermuda they have a unique taxonomy for drivers that only allows visitors to ride small motor scooters rather than cars. I think the idea is that the average scooter is not going to cause as much collateral damage as an actual car, although most of the cars here are not much bigger than a scooter anyway.
(My trusty steed "Jezebel." So named because she lulled me into a false sense of security and then tried to kill me.)
I rented my scooter, took my idiot training, and then had to drive up the road a bit to show that I was reasonably able to navigate the narrow and winding roads of this fair isle. Honestly, being from the states I was a bit annoyed that I had to demonstrate basic driving skills. After all, the national speed limit seems to be 35 KPH. I toddled along up the road, turned around and returned per the rental agent's instructions. On the return trip I suddenly realized that I was heading straight into the front end of relatively large (by Bermuda standards) van. In the spirit of international cooperation, both the driver and I said the same very bad word at approximately the same time and I veered into the correct lane just in the nick of time. I was quite chastened (not to mention puckered up) when I returned to the rental livery. I imagine the poor woman in the van was shaken as well. I was on a scooter but I am a 350 pound 6'2" man and think her van would have been quite the worse for wear had we collided.
(Beautiful St. George, Bermuda)
The upside of this event is that my amygdyla was fully engaged as the more primitive aspects of my central nervous system struggled to keep me alive on the road. So, I found it fairly easy to remember which side of the road to drive on from that point forward. On Bermuda, "right is wrong and left is right" as the rental agent said.
(One of the chimneys at the Rosedon Hotel. Stunning white and beige colonial architecture against a burning blue sky... this too is Bermuda)
The point of this is that it can be very hazardous to disagree with the prevailing taxonomy in an organization, country or transportation system. If everyone is driving on the left but you, then bad things are going to happen.
So the first task of the governance team is to establish its own core process. The second task is to establish its top-level taxonomy and make sure there is consensus across the entire organization. This is why an information architecture can't give rise to the top-level taxonomy. No one understands an information architecture and it arises from the minds of highly technical people. Taxonomy first then information architecture.
© 2008, Mark Ragar Schneider, All Rights Reserved
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