Some
years ago I took a break from the workforce to travel about in Europe, a sort
of sabbatical. Once on the continent it became clear the level of diversity
amongst cultures and languages were beyond even my expectations. In my mind I understood
the importance of being able to speak the local language as much as possible
even if I was only going to be there for a short time. My rationale was that if
I could ask for the essentials including lodgings, food and a pint, I would be
able to get by on charm for everything else.
It
was on a train from Paris to Lyon that I came across Giles, a retired French
teacher who spoke excellent English. Having always admired the ability to
converse in multiple languages I sat with him. He explained to me it was in my
best interest to continue to exercise my French skills (even though I thought
they were mediocre at best) while I was in France. His explanation was simple
“You may not be fluent and may stumble a bit, but you will find that your
interactions with people in your time here will be more enjoyable.”
This
is also true of the IT and business interactions. While we both ultimately have
the same goals quite often we may be speaking different languages – Technical
and Business. An important part of this dialog is to understand the gap in
communication between the two. This only really can happen when we get together
and not only discuss but really
listen to and understand what the other is saying.
You may have the
Business Relationship Manager who facilitates this process quite nicely. The
BRM may perform many activities but are able to interact as a liaison between
the business and IT with regards to achieving outcomes. Until your organization
has someone in this capacity you may have to take the initiative and start this
on your own.
Getting Started
You
might ask “Where do I start?” In the past I had decided to meet and interact
with 1 person from my business every other week. It doesn’t sound like much,
but it is a SMART goal. Keep in mind that while this seems like a small goal
over the course of the year I will have leveraged the experiences and skills of
26 people of varying backgrounds. Keeping this simple will also allow me to
manage all the other moving parts without overextending any one activity or
another.
Do Not Make Assumptions
Much
like in the languages we speak across the globe, a minor difference in
pronunciation can make the difference between a bath and a bus. Having regular
collaboration time to come up with ways to address the business outcomes is
important, but ensures that you leave little room for interpretation. One on
one style meetings with the senior leaders may have been the mode before
however a fundamental understanding of day to day activities across the broader
spectrum may be the route to go. Involving several stakeholders and make them
available at these sessions to ask questions should clarify any ambiguities
which may exist from both a business and IT perspective
Finish What You Start
Everything
starts with the best intentions in mind. Keep connecting with your business to
ensure that we are still on target. If you veer off the path, as you inevitably
may, make the necessary course corrections. There are no failures with these
kinds of deviations as something can always be learned from them. Ensure you
share these findings within your community. It can be very easy to fall back
into the old routines so keep at it.
As
you progress in this new collaborative spirit you still may not intimately know
all the business needs but you will be in a better position to ask the right
questions to help you both achieve the business outcomes.
Labels: Business Relationship Management, Continual Service Improvement, ITSM