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Chapter 3

3-1 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Prentice Hall

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Communication is a key social element ofthe organizational alignment between IT

and business.

One of the most important skills IT staffneeds to develop is how to communicateeffectively with businesses.

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Good communication is essential for:Building trust and partnerships between

the business and ITHelping IT to manage the business

perceptions of ITUnderstanding the priorities and pressures

of the businessConveying the business value of IT

3-3

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Principle 1:The effectiveness of communicationis measured by its outcomes.

Principle 2:Communication is social behavior.

Principle 3:Shared knowledge improvescommunication.

Principle 4:Mature organizations have bettercommunication.

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Communication is successful when itachieves the outcomes we desire.

Communication can get distorted throughfilters such as politics, culture, andpersonal points of view.

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Communication not only transmits ideas;it also negotiates relationships.

Howyou say what you mean is just asimportant as whatyou say.

IT staff and managers need to becomeaware of the power of different linguisticstyles in communication situations.

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The more IT stafflearns about thebusiness, the better

communicationbecomes.

Shared knowledge isthe beginning of the

virtuous circle.

Shared Knowledge

IncreasedCommunication

Mutual Understanding

andCommonSense

Implementation

Success

THE VIRTUOUSCOMMUNICATION CYCLE

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Strong organizational practices support andreinforce good interpersonal communication.

Mature IT organizations embed appropriatecommunication at the operational andstrategic level

You cant be a partner unlessyoure a mature IT organization

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The changing nature of IT work:

IT work has become more complex overtime. Multiple cultures, different politicalcontexts, various times zones, and virtualcontacts make communication morechallenging.

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Hiring practices:

IT skills are changing to become more

consultative and collaborative, ratherthan focused exclusively on technology.

IT organizations can no longer support smart,super-talented but socially disruptive people

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Nature and frequency ofcommunication:

Formal interactions improve communication,but communication should not exclusivelyoccur in formal interactions (e.g., through IT

governance).

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Attitude:

Many IT staff are motivated by the desireto be right rather than good communicators.

We definitely need a we attitude in IT,rather than us-them attitude

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Translation: a four-step process

BusinessImpact of

TechnologyIssues

Business

TechnologyIssues

IT SolutionsBusinessSolutions

IT

Translation

Translation

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Tailoring:

IT staff needs to adapt their communicationto the needs of their audience by:

-- Understanding needs, agendas, and politics.

-- Choosing the suitable communicationmethod (e.g., reports, face-to-face, e-mails).

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Transparency:

The business needs to see what is being

done in IT and what it costs. This means:

-- Communication that is honest, accurate,

ethical, and respectful.

-- Getting the communication process

flowing both ways.

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Thinking, talking, and listening:

IT staff needs to understand how andwhere to speak and how to listen to others.

-- Howone reaches a decision is as

important to successful communicationas the actual decision itself.

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Make the importance of effectivecommunication visible.

Work with HR to develop new skillexpectations and roles.

Develop communication skills bothformally and informally.

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Increase the nature and frequency ofcommunication.

Spend more time on communication.

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Effective communication can overcomemisunderstandings, dysfunctional behavior,and, above all, failures to deliver IT value.

Good communication has both social andorganizational dimensions.

A virtuous circle of communication canimprove IT performance and perceptionsof IT value.

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Copyright 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Publishing as Prentice Hall