Why is that user yelling at me?

By Vivienne Fisher, ZDNet Australia, 28 August, 2002 09:02

NEWS

Is this the latest trend -- IT staff having to deal with internal clients who are demanding, impatient and don't really even know what they're asking you to do? IT professionals may be employed to provide service to the rest of the business, but there should also be some basic standards and processes in place to protect IT departments from unrealistic staff members, or regular pests. The question is whether it's a matter of educating employees, or if there's a need for a more dramatic cultural shift within organisations. In past weeks ZDNet Australia has run a number of stories where proponents have touted the need for the divide to be bridged between IT departments and the rest of the business. There are the obvious catchphrases of better communication, understanding the business applications, and looking at the impact IT has on the bottom line. And all those reasons are valid. But, looking beyond the cliches, sometimes it can be a battle for IT leaders to really make non-techies understand the complexities of planned projects. How long it will realistically take, what are the trade-offs, what is (and isn't) possible, where or when could costs escalate, and who is responsible if it all goes horribly wrong? These seem like simple business issues but for business-level managers who have little contact with technology, IT managment may still be seen as a black art.

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