IT needs to accentuate the positive

WGP 13May15 - WGP 20May15 - WGP 27May15 - WGP 03Jun15 -

Information technology units are not generally defined by their ability to effectively communicate across multiple layers of an organisation.

There is a singular "basement" culture which often exists in IT and sets it apart from the rest of the organisation.

So how can this isolated culture with a reputation for saying "no" positively affect the rest of the organisation?

By insisting on a "yes" culture. It's really that simple.

A business unit approaches your staff and identifies a problem. Can we help? Yes. Can we see a solution? Yes. Can we implement this solution efficiently and within budget? Yes.

Whether we can immediately see a solution is irrelevant - there is a technical solution out there, we just need to find it. The staff member or business unit manager has gone away happy, ready to spread the word to disbelieving ears - the IT department said they would help.

The ideal situation for me is if I already have the solution in place, so when the business asks, my answer is not only "yes" but, "We already have that capability. I'll turn it on for you."

By installing a yes culture in IT staff, from the management down to the IT help desk, positive change can and will start to infect the rest of the organisation.

Imagine being the leader of an IT department that has the reputation of saying yes, of getting things done, or overcoming problems and finding a solution, by being customer-centric, of being leading-edge.

Imagine being part of an organisation that takes on a yes culture, to the point where people want to work for you, customers appreciate you, staff enjoy working with you and you improve the organisation's productivity, because while you are busy saying yes, staff are busy finding creative and forward-thinking solutions to technical issues asked for by managers and front-line staff, and the changes are having a positive impact on work productivity and staff morale.

So can IT positively influence work culture?

Yes.

* Wanganui District Council information technology manager Jason Simons has worked around the world delivering IT solutions, including providing encrypted systems for governments, banks and corporates. Follow his blog at jasonsimons.nz