Effectively rolling out and managing IT involves juggling numerous competing priorities. That said, one simple question can help clarify many issues: What can I do to help people do their best work?
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Forrester analyst David Johnson notes that despite the lip service paid to “business first, technology second” as a principle, there’s still too little emphasis on how IT can help other people do their jobs:
When was the last time you rolled out a technology that earned you and your team the rousing applause and admiration of people in your company closest to your customers? When was the last time the sales, customer service or product management teams thanked you for a new technology because it made their working lives better? If you can think of one instance, you’re doing well.
Technology is a tool. Give people the right tools and they’ll be grateful.
Technology Jeopardy: Beat The Odds Of Project Failure With A Single Question [Forrester Blogs]
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One response to “Ask This Single Question To Improve Your IT Planning”
With every IT project I have worked on the issues with the project have always come down to:
1. Too many non-IT personal making decisions (you don’t know anything about so shut up)
2. Changing priority or needs (what do you need this system to do? what in the future do you need it to do?)
3. Lack of Money (IT costs money you either pay or get a sub-standard solution)
4. Lack of Time (either a too-short time line or the IT team keeps getting busy with putting out fires caused by either the old system or self-important managers with a loud mouth)
5. Lack of understanding between departments (IT, HR, Finance, Legal, Ops…. ect)