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Language differences between IT and (the rest of) Business

In a recent article - How to tap IT’s hidden potential written by Dr Amit Basu and Chip Jarnagin for WSJ - “language differences” between IT departments and the rest of the company has been cited as one of the five primary reasons for the existence of a glass-wall between IT and Business. This cannot be more true and especially so in today’s times with rapid innovation in information technologies and the constant pressure on IT departments to do more with less coupled with an extremely dynamic business environment. 

So what are the different touch points where IT needs to re-think their language with Business? And what kind of changes are we talking about? Are these changes easy to make?

Participation of Senior IT Managers in Business Planning and Review meetings and vice versa helps each side of the table understand the other’s perspective. Additionally job rotation where possible between Business and IT teams can also create tremendous opportunities to narrow language differences. One customer organization we worked with has a Vice President of Production Support and Service Management who had started his career being a business call center analyst. This organization has extremely mature Service Management practices and it is not difficult to see the connection.

The Business perspective and understanding is invariably missing in Senior IT Managers as most of them have risen from technical roles. The impact of a large IT initiative on Business performance and improvement, IT governance linkages with overall organization governance, relationship between IT metrics and business indicators – all these are opportunity areas for IT to lead the way in breaking the glass wall. 

Incidentally, one of the key advantages always talked about from rolling out an ITIL initiative is “standardization of language” … although participation of Business representatives in an ITIL program – Now that’s going too far, or is it?

How do you break the wall?

Posted by Rohit Nand on April 4, 2008 01:36 PM |

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Comments

Of course, this starts at the top with visible actions, activities and programs. There must be an adopted corporate strategy for business and IT alignment (at least between the CIO and COO/LoB, etc.). Every strategic or tactical initiative, campaign or program must consider the alignment strategies goals and objectives throughout. I talk a lot about this with our clients who desire to adopt Business Service Management (BSM) as this core strategic differentiator for alignment.

More importantly, people must be encouraged and motivated to change through incentive based compensation plans, organizational structures, job assignments and operational practices (service delivery, service support, etc.) that reinforce a business first mentality.

It's got to become second nature to be successful. It has to feel effortless and natural, without extra work, effort or time to incorporate into daily lives in IT and the business.

Posted by: Doug McClure | April 13, 2008 10:23 PM

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