Ten tips for better IT/business relations

A technologist who was setting up a computer system for a law firm started by asking the attorneys exactly what they wanted the system to do.

One said, "I want to be able to ask the computer how much money I'm owed by clients, how much I have billed and how much I have in the bank."

"Okay," the techie replied. "We'll set the system up with financial reporting software that will generate a report for you every day."

"No, no," the lawyer said. "I want to ask the computer."

"Okay. We'll set up the report so you can type in a query and get exactly the information you need."

"You don't understand," the lawyer insisted. "I want to be able to walk into my office and say, 'Computer! How much money do I have in the bank?' And the computer will tell me.
"They do it that way on Star Trek all the time."


True story.

This example may be extreme, but it does illustrate a common disconnect in the workplace: Business professionals (suits) and technology professionals (geeks) failing to communicate clearly. It’s a phenomenon we’ve dubbed the “Geek Gap.”

There’s no sure-fire prescription for getting technologists and business folks to come together. As a general rule however, the more each side learns about the other, appreciates the thought and talent that goes into that work, and respects all who contribute to the health of the organization, the closer you’ll come to bridging the gap. With those objectives in mind, we offer these 10 tips—five for geeks from suits, and five for suits from geeks.

Tips for Geeks from Suits

1. Learn something about business. Take some basic business courses. Understanding the concepts that underlie management decisions, and what effects IT decisions can have on the bottom line, can give geeks a sense of ownership in the company’s success

2. Focus on the project as a whole, not just the technology. Tech workers tend to be fascinated with technology, often to the exclusion of other aspects of the total job. Organizations are far stronger when everyone looks at the project as a whole.

3. Don’t expect suits to know as much about technology as you do. Geeks live and breathe technology. Suits do not. Sometimes, techies can be downright evangelical about their favorite software. Suits just want it to work so they can get the job done. While suits need to know some computer basics, keep in mind that they are also focusing on a completely different knowledge set for their own jobs.

4. Try to use plain language, and not “geek speak.” Geeky terminologies may be perfectly understandable to your co-workers, but do remember that suits don’t speak geek. They value your opinion and knowledge. It’s important that suits understand what geeks say, so keep it basic, simple to understand and clear.

5. Be involved in more meetings, not fewer. It can be very easy to hide from meetings behind the technology you manage. Problems and questions involving technology often arise in business meetings, and having a knowledgeable geek there can mean the difference between a smooth-running project and one riddled with false starts and unmet deadlines.

6. Learn something about technology. One of the biggest frustrations for tech workers is dealing with business colleagues who resist learning computer basics. Suits don’t need to become computer wizards, but knowing some essential IT skills is necessary in the modern business world. Suits who take computer courses gain a greater understanding of how technology works, and what it can and can't do. Even a beginner course in programming can help business people better understand computer work and give them more respect for their techie colleagues. .

7. Technology should always be part of the business plan. Don’t leave the technology aspects out of a project until the end. Bring the geeks in on the business development meetings early and keep them informed thoughout the stages of the project. Keeping the technology in mind as the project grows will smooth many of the processes, saving time and money, and raising the chances of success.

8. Build some flexibility into schedules and budgets. Building and working on technological products is as much art as engineering. Allow some flexibility in the calendar and the spending to give your techies the opportunity to build a good product. Otherwise, you may wind up with something on time and on budget, but not on the mark. Geeks would rather get it right before a system goes into production. It’s easier and less expensive than fixing a buggy system already in use.

9. Try to use plain language, not buzzwords. Like any specialized workers, suits have their own words that make their job easier. Whether “incentivizing” the buyer, “gaining traction” with products or putting the “paradigm shift” spin on “restructuring,” geeks understand that language can be powerful. However, keep in mind geeks don’t want to be sold on an idea. Limit the motivational talk.. Sometimes, it’s not a “challenge” or a “hurdle.” It might just be a problem to fix, and we can work together much better if we both use plain language.

10. Talk to us directly. Many companies designate one employee as a liaison between the technology department and other business areas. Having a liaison is great, but making this person the only conduit for information to and from the tech department is a mistake and will create bottlenecks. Feel free to approach whoever can get the information you need..

That’s It?

No advice we could offer in a short article amounts to the final solution to an intricate and ingrained problem like the Geek Gap. However, anything you can do to get geeks and suits talking to one another can help your organization span the Geek Gap, often with dramatic results.

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