<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t call the PC Police just yet, it\u2019s not what you think.<\/p>\n
I was at an event last evening speaking to a gentleman I had just been introduced to about who we are, what we do, you know, the \u201cGetting To Know You\u201d phase of the conversation.\u00a0 During the course of the conversation I was asked a couple of questions that, the more I thought about it, are part of complimentary discussions.\u00a0 The first was \u201cWhat do you find is the biggest challenge your clients?\u201d and second was \u201cHow do we end up in a place where we have so many disparate systems that don\u2019t really talk to one another?\u201d.\u00a0 We talked and learned from one another throughout the conversation but as we shared stories and experiences it really came down to two seeming anomalous factors, religion and evolution.<\/p>\n
So what do I mean by religion and evolution?\u00a0 No I’m not getting into a conversation about faith and Darwin (well not in the sense you’re thinking).<\/p>\n
Religion<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 As it relates to business, everyone has their own beliefs about what\u2019s best for their part of the organization, their own ambitions, and their own goals that sometimes do not align with other departments or organizational units.\u00a0 As a group you have your own way of doing things that you believe is the best way to operate.\u00a0 Your actions and decisions are driven by your beliefs of what is right for your immediate needs and organization.\u00a0 This is normal.\u00a0 This is what you do to take care of your people and advance your path towards your goals right?\u00a0 But what about the company\u2019s larger strategic goals?\u00a0 Does your “religion<\/em>” actually align with the rest of the “church<\/em>” (company)?<\/p>\n The IT folks know what\u2019s best for everyone and we can\u2019t allow people too much freedom as they may compromise security, or data, or break their computer and I\u2019ll have to fix it.\u00a0 Sales wants this really cool CRM tool.\u00a0 It has no impact on other departments (or so we think), so we\u2019ll just make our choice among ourselves.<\/p>\n Evolution<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 As companies grow so do their component parts and along with them the complexity of processes and operations.\u00a0 I\u2019ve said that religion can lead to decisions made in a vacuum.\u00a0\u00a0 These decisions are the cause of technology evolution. Each department has varying systems at different ages and capability levels.\u00a0 Sometimes we end up with duplicated data which in turn leads to inconsistent data and no real version of the truth.\u00a0 Reports are generated by different group by different systems with different data and on it goes.\u00a0 You get the point.\u00a0 We\u2019ve created this tightly woven mess of technology that seems impossible to untangle and make more effective and efficient.<\/p>\n As this twisted monster grows, unfortunately, so does the resentment and erosion of the relationships that could fix it.\u00a0 People most often start playing the blame game.\u00a0 \u201cThey do this every time\u2026\u201d or \u201cThey didn\u2019t talk to us when they bought that so it\u2019s not my problem\u2026\u201d.\u00a0 Whatever the situation somehow trust falls apart usually because of expediency and budget allocations.\u00a0 So how do you break that pattern?\u00a0 How do you evolve and start to sing from the same hymnal?<\/p>\n In IT there is a model known as OSI that covers how networks communicate.\u00a0 It has 7 layers, well at least in the books.\u00a0 Most engineers and IT managers have a tough time learning about Layer 8.\u00a0 Unofficially it\u2019s referred to as the Political Layer of the OSI model.\u00a0 The layer where you build relationships with your colleagues and partners in the organization to build trust and foster growth and collaboration. \u00a0Sounds easy right?\u00a0 Sure it is!\u00a0 That\u2019s why we all have some estranged relative somewhere that said something stupid years ago that you still haven\u2019t forgivent for.<\/span><\/p>\n Too often we don\u2019t realize but as an IT organization we are uniquely positioned to facilitate these relationships and truly enable the business.\u00a0 Nearly every business problem is presented with technical solutions in today\u2019s world.\u00a0 Changing stance from an obstructionist position to facilitating and enabling changes and integration will enable growth, speed, and consistency throughout the environment.\u00a0 Find ways to facilitate technology decisions for your peers and users with their input and integrate with existing systems.\u00a0 Look for ways to add additional or unexpected value to the process and get faster at it each time.\u00a0 The more you do this the more likely your colleagues will be to come to you to work on the next project for input.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"