Want to re-create the experience of salmon swimming upstream? Try convincing the higher-ups that making an initial capital outlay to implement highly-efficient technology will benefit them in the long run.
Want to re-create the experience of salmon swimming upstream in a tsunami? Try doing it in our current economic environment, while IT budgets are being slashed; and the highly-efficient technology you want to implement is a new discipline that almost nobody understands.
I’ve been making the”proactive” argument my entire career. Certainly, I always had logic on my side, and lined up all of the metaphors to support my position. Who would possibly argue against fixing potential leaks before the dam bursts? “Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish!”. “You can pay now or pay a lot more later!” (my brilliantly-usurped line from the Fram oil filter guy).
The problem is, you may win the argument, but still lose the debate. CIO magazine illustrates this point beautifully. There are a mass of sinister forces working against you; not the least of which is, to a lot of executives, the IT department is like that not-too-popular uncle they keep in the attic. A necessary evil. Their mantra is, “IT should be seen, but not heard”. You end up running into four common issues and one exception:
- Management looks at IT as a non-revenue-generating cost center, and as such doesn’t want to fund it.
- Management has no idea what you’re talking about. They won’t fund it.
- Management actually listens to you and even likes what they hear. Then comes the dreaded result, “That’s a great plan, but we simply don’t have room for it in the budget. We can’t fund it.”.
- Management likes it and wants you to implement it, but thinks it can be done on a shoe-string. They fund it, but just enough to set you up for failure.
- Management funds it!
First of all, views one through four are highly short-sighted. I phrase it this way. In IT, we produce nothing! Our job is to make sure that everyone else can do THEIR jobs. Management sometimes doesn’t see the bigger picture. They don’t realize that a catastrophic failure means that the revenue-generating parts of the company will not be able to generate revenue. In short; time is money.
Times are changing, though. Some companies have broadened their definition of the IT department and have brought them in to support projects that actually generate revenue.
Also, one can’t blame management all the time. If it’s not in the budget, it’s not in the budget. That changes your mandate. How do you move yourself up in the pecking order? If management can’t see the big picture, it’s your job to MAKE them see it!
This is where IT and Legal can really cooperate to achieve a beneficial
result for both departments – and by default, the organization as a
whole. How? By using the one thing that is the singular goal of most attorneys:
PERSUASION!
Legal eagles face dire consequences for failure. Their licenses are on the line. IT knows what it feels like when they can’t deliver what’s requested of them – it’s already happened many times. And the organization? Somebody will end up paying the penalty. Everybody has skin in this game.
This is a true opportunity for IT and Legal to come together to play to each other’s strengths. Get into a room together. Formulate a plan. Then persuade management as a team. This has to happen!
