Guardians of M365 Governance #8: Leveraging the Microsoft 365 Maturity Model

For Episode 8 of the Guardians of M365 Governance monthly webcast, Joy Apple (@JoyOfSharePoint), Christian Buckley (@buckleyplanet), and I were sorry that our planned guest, Sharon Weaver, was unable to join us this month for health reasons, but we’ll be sure to add her back into the schedule soon. While we did not hear Sharon’s perspective as a Core Team member for the M365 Maturity Model community, we discussed the maturity model and shared some of our thoughts and experiences.

This episode focused on “Leveraging the M365 Maturity Model” to enhance governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) practices. As regulatory environments grow more complex, organizations must evolve from reactive compliance efforts to a proactive approach where GRC is integrated into daily operations and strategic decision-making. We explored how the M365 Maturity Model helps organizations assess their current GRC maturity, identify gaps, and build a more resilient framework supporting compliance and business growth.

We discussed how one size does NOT fit all and that tailoring your governance framework to suit your organization’s unique needs is essential, ensuring that compliance efforts align with your specific industry requirements and business objectives. From there, organizations can strategically use Microsoft 365 tools like Compliance Manager, Information Protection, eDiscovery, and 3rd party governance solutions to streamline their management efforts and enhance operational efficiency. We also discussed how leadership is vital in driving maturity and fostering a culture where governance is seen as a strategic priority and accountability is embedded at all levels.

Finally, we emphasized the need for continuous improvement and adaptation in practices. The M365 Maturity Model is a living framework that organizations can use to regularly assess and refine their governance efforts, staying ahead of emerging risks and maintaining compliance in an ever-changing regulatory landscape. As Christian mentioned last month, we’d like to encourage our viewers to share their own governance war stories and engage with the community within the governance community page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/m365governance.

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