The Data Model Resource Book, Volume 3: Universal Patterns for Data Modeling

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Experiences Using and Socializing These Patterns 555

Develop trust

Manage conflict effectively

Sometimes we refer to these as ‘‘Universal Principles’’ because just like

Universal Data Models and Universal Patterns they ‘‘apply to a great

variety of uses: comprehending, affecting or extending to the whole’’

(from a Webster’s dictionary definition of universal). In this chapter, we

focus on applying these principles to patterns; however, the principles

could be used to socialize or gain buy-in for anything.

Additional comments on socializing the patterns such as discussing the

need for the patterns to be socialized for many types of circumstances,

the role of upper-level management commitment, and the estimation of

the return on investment for using the patterns.

Experiences Using and Socializing These Patterns

Even with all the benefits that patterns provide, some of our clients have

had difficulties getting their enterprise to adopt these (or any) patterns. Why

is this? Perhaps it is best to illustrate the answer to this question with two

experiences of enterprises that wanted to socialize the patterns across their

enterprise. Though we describe real-life scenarios, we will use fictitious names

for these enterprises for confidentiality reasons.

First, we want you to examine the experiences of a large, international enter-

prise trying to socialize the