The IT Organization

1. The IT Organization Part II 17

2. people methodology The Project Driven IT Organzation IT Management is based on and 18

3. 100 % 75 % Danger 50 % 25 % The Skills and Personality Dilemma Leadership Management Team Leaders IT Experts 0% Humanity 19

4. Need for New Type of IT profiles “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion… design a building, balance accounts, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, program a computer, fight, efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” Robert A. Heinlein, The Notebooks of Lazarus Long “We are in an age that assumes the narrowing trends of specialization to be logical, natural, and desirable. Consequently, society expects all earnestly responsible communication to be brief. Advancing science has now discovered that all the known cases of biological extinction have been caused by overspecialization, whose concentration of only selected genes sacrifices general adaptability. Thus the specialist’s brief for pinpoint brevity is dubious. In the meantime, humanity has been deprived of comprehensive understanding. Specialization has bred feelings of isolation, futility, and confusion in individuals. It has also resulted in the individual’s leaving responsibility for thinking and social action to others. Specialization breeds biases that ultimately aggregate as international and ideological discord, which in turn leads to war.” Buckminster Fuller, Synergetics 20

5. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Culture Gap between IT and the Business 21

6. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Culture Gap between IT and the Business IT Objectives Corporate Objectives Risks/Benefits IT Professionals Business Professionals Lack of Knowledge IT Developers Users Struggle for Control 22

7. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy What was needed is a methodology on all levels • Common Development Structure • Listening Methods for Better Quality of Information • ORID Method for Managing Creativity • Project Management Methodology 23

8. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information 1. The “befuddling” process. 2. Barriers to listening 3. Clarifying question improve communication 24

9. Concept Document Concept Document Loss and/or Lack of Detail Additions Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information 1. The “befuddling” process. Original Idea Final Idea Type of distortions to Ideas Filters Misinterpretation Concept Document Additions Substitutions 25

10. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information 2. Barriers to listening • Style of Listening: • The Faker • The Dependent Listener • The Interrupter • The Intellectual Listener • The Semantic Listener • Emotional: • Hot Buttons • Buzz words • Physical: • Fidgeting • Tapping on desk • External noises • Fatigue, illness • Filters: • Biases • Attention-Reception-Perception • Hearing what we want to hear • Myths Taking you off onto tangents Intellectual Listener Rebuttal Advice Giver Interrupter The Talker Talking Negative Use of Time Lag Daydreaming Internal + External Distractions Speaker’s Rate of Speech = Listener’s Rate of Processing 26

11. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information 2. Barriers to listening Is this the right condition for managing creativity? Is this how business ideas are turned into an IT strategy? 27

12. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information 3. Clarifying questions improve communication • ORID method: • The orid method is a basic discussion method to engage people in productive dialogue it is the basis for: • Collecting data and ideas • Giving out information • Discussing tough issues • Reflecting on important issues and events • Getting ready for problem solving • Effective decision making 28

13. Objective Reflective Interpretive Decisional Getting the facts Focus Attention Questions begin with what people see, hear, touch, smell and taste Emotions, Feelings, Associations Questions illuminate people’s emotional responses What they feel about sth, what angers, excites, intrigues or frightens What past associations they have Values, Meaning, Purpose Questions highlight layers of meaning and purpose The significance people attach to a subject How they experience the idea or concept Future Resolves Questions allow individuals to decide their relationship and response to the topic and the discussion they had together Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy Better Quality Information ORID Method 29

14. Turning Core Business Objectives and Values into IT Strategy... …Requires Softskills and Workshop methods, and... leadership “commercial” sense ability to motivate risk management planning communication negotiation 30

15. The Future IT Project Manager Discussion About a New Profile… the hybrid manager 31

16. Signature Thank You Please send an e-mail and tell me what you think about this presentation to Nadinemouali@compuserve.com Recommended Resources: Strategy of the Dolphin, a book about winning elegantly by coping powerfully in a world of turbulent change, by Dudly Lynch and Paul Kordis, Arrow Books Limited, ISBN 009 9762102 Effective Listening Skills, by Dennis M. Kratz and Abby Robinson Kratz, McGraw Hill Business Skills Express Series, ISBN 078630 1228 For ORID discussion method and other workshop techniques: visit the Academy of Leadership at ICA in Brussels. You will find more information on WWW.ICAB.BE 32