Business and Technology: Love and Marriage Redefined Part 2

Marriage takes a lot of work but at the end of the day, it’s worth it.

The same goes for bridging the gap between IT and businesses.

David Rettig, LAN Administrator for the engineering design firm Burgess & Niple, suggested how to start.

Ten Things To Be Done

1.  IDENTIFY: Identify business processes. Look for ways to improve them. Identify technologies that will enhance operation, bottom-line performance, and revenue generation.
2. QUANTIFY: Quantify the productivity and profitability gains enabled by technology in the business.
3. COMMUNICATE: Communicate areas for additional gains in productivity and profitability.
4. MEASURE: Assess technological requests based on standard business metrics, rather than initial cost. Measure performance gains. Look at the hard and soft savings and benefits of technology.
5. STANDARDS: Hold technologists to the same business and governance standards as any other department. Including budgeting, business practices, accountability, reports, and culture.
6. CROSS-TRAIN: Cross training is a loaded concept and most technologists will be specialists with years of training in their chosen field. This does not mean that IT professionals should be able to do another job; however they can understand another job. Expose technologists to other business units. The engineer does not have to know how to put together a marketing presentation; however, they should know that the marketing department puts together a presentation regularly. Conversely, the CFO doesn’t need to know how to implement an upgrade, just why it is important.
7. INCLUDE: Invite the technology team to participate in other business meetings. And attend technology staff meetings.
8. BILINGUAL: Being bilingual does not mean being fluent, but that basic comprehension is required. Business leaders should learn the basic lingo of their technology department. Technologists should learn the difference between ‘ROI’ and ‘business drivers’.
9. ASK: If you don’t understand, ask. Technological specialists are highly trained individuals and often feel intimidated or belittled when exposed to a business concept that they do not understand. Executives and business leaders are highly trained individuals and often feel intimidated or belittled when exposed to a technological concept that they do not understand. Set aside the ego. Ask for an explanation. Listen.
10. CROSS THE BRIDGE: Sit in through a technical web presentation. Let the sheer volume of information wash over you. You do not have to understand any part of it. Appreciate that your technologist does. Invite your technologist to your next business luncheon. Pay for an accounting or business class.

These tips are not technical in nature but rather, represent a change in attitude. But implementing these guidelines will get you on the correct path to bridging IT staffing and business.

And a happy marriage for everyone.

Conctact Right Time Consulting about your Denver IT Staffing needs.