Wolf&Grayson EditorialMost companies have the same problem. IT teams speak in technical jargon, auditors focus on compliance requirements, and business strategists think about growth. Meanwhile, everyone’s doing similar work but nobody’s talking to each other. Shannon Noonan, founder of HiNoon Consultancy, spent years watching this dysfunction before deciding to fix it. Her solution combines audit, IT, and business strategy into what she calls unified governance.
Identifying Disconnect Across Departments
Noonan never set out to transform corporate governance. She began her career in accounting before moving into information systems, where a pattern quickly stood out. “I started as an accountant. I was very much into business and operations and, over time, especially when I got my degree in information systems, dove into IT,” she recalls. What struck her was how differently each part of a company communicated. “Even though we all speak the same language when you’re in a business, you don’t use that same language when you’re in each unique area of the business. IT speaks one way, business speaks another, security speaks differently. So identifying a method to unify that is quite helpful.” Departments were operating side by side with little true coordination.
Ask Noonan to define unified governance and she puts it simply. “Unified governance really could be unified business, unified strategy. It’s one governance, one decision, one business approach applied to many.” Rather than every team building its own processes, the organization aligns under a single framework. The impact is immediate. “When you get a unified approach, all the leadership agrees to it, all the teams buy into it, and you’re able to easily maneuver and get things done faster and more efficiently versus trying to duct tape and glue it together,” she explains.
People Problems, Not Process Problems
The biggest challenge isn’t technical. It’s human nature. “People don’t want to relinquish control. They’re afraid to give up ownership of something, even if they don’t truly own it,” Noonan says. She sees this pattern repeatedly when consulting with organizations.
Relinquishing Control and Ownership Fears – “When I work with organizations, I gather all governance elements into a single hub. This isn’t about removing ownership from teams, it’s about creating a clear picture of what the company actually needs. From there, we can streamline the process, making it easier for each team to operate more efficiently and effectively. The goal is to reduce friction, not control.” People and teams interpret this as losing control, even when they’re gaining efficiency.
- Facing Resistance During Organizational Change – “People often struggle with transitions. When routines shift, there’s uncertainty about how to respond. So, when something familiar is altered, it’s natural for them to push back until they gain comfort with the new approach,” she explains.
- Recognizing Skepticism from Past Failures – “These individuals have carried out tasks the same way for years, yet they’ve also been the ones eager to try new approaches. They’ve pushed for innovation, only to be told no, to hear it won’t work, and to watch initiatives fall short.” Veterans have watched countless initiatives fail. Their skepticism comes from experience.
Digital transformation isn’t replacing governance, it’s accelerating it. “It doesn’t change, it makes it more efficient. We still have to assess it, but now we’ll be able to do tasks faster,” Noonan says about AI and automation tools. This efficiency creates new possibilities. ““Our teams are already lean. By adapting to new technology, we gain efficiency—allowing us to see more, validate more effectively, and uncover better ways to complete tasks faster.” She doesn’t see technology as a threat. “I don’t see it as replacing my job. I see it as enhancing my role and helping me accomplish more and work in sync with me.”
Embedding Governance in Daily Work
Real change happens when governance becomes part of everyday work instead of an annual checklist. “You build it into someone’s job. It’s not that you do this once a year. You build it into their job description, their role in the organization,” Noonan explains. This shift changes the employee experience. “They’re not being forced to do tasks they don’t want to do. They know it has to get done. They have a say in how it gets accomplished. And they’re not just doing it because someone told them to.” The result is collaboration rather than compliance theater. “It’s not a lone soldier forcing someone to do it. It’s a team effort.”
For organizations just beginning their governance journey, Noonan offers simple guidance. “Don’t try to do this alone. Nothing about this is an individual effort. It’s all about collaboration.” She also stresses the distinction between responsibility and ownership. “You never truly own the teams when you’re the compliance team. You own making sure governance is being done. The teams own implementing it. So you need to collaborate with the leaders of those groups.” The difference between failure and success comes down to strategy and teamwork, not control. Companies that get this right stop battling their own processes and start using them to move forward.
Connect with Shannon Noonan on LinkedIn to explore more insights on unified governance.
