Aligning and integrating IT with the business takes the work of people both outside of IT and inside of IT. While it requires coordination and teamwork, there are things that we as IT workers can do to improve business-IT alignment, from the CIO down to a Level 1 help desk person. My favorite piece of research in this area points to several enablers and inhibitors of business-IT alignment (Luftman, Papp, Brier, 1999), and some of those can be directly impacted by IT without a lot of involvement of the business or by IT taking proactive steps that do not require changes in company structure or policy. Whether business-IT alignment is one of your guiding principles or an overused buzzword, these ten steps will be useful for you.
1. Be empathetic
While we all probably get tired of hearing about the same problems caused by user error, we should strive to never show any sort of frustration. Instead of immediately jumping into a possible solution when someone comes to you with a computer problem, empathize with them first. Words and phrases to use are things like, "That would definitely make things difficult,""I have had a problem like that before, too, it is frustrating," or "I'm sorry that happened" to let the person know you understand the emotional aspects of their problem. When you are empathetic, people are less likely to come to you angry because they will learn that you would never do something on purpose to make their work difficult. Empathy builds trust and familiarity, and these are important to build closer relationships with others in the organization.
2. Have a conversation with a non-IT coworker without talking about IT
As technology geeks, it can be all too easy for us to start talking about technology. Is there something non-technology-related that you do with your free time that coworkers might do? Is there some company news that might impact everyone in the organization? Did you overhear some coworkers talking about a TV show? Do you have any favorite sports or sports teams in common with your coworkers? These are all possible avenues for you to use to interact with a coworkers on a non-IT level. You will not likely be able to use all of them, but you should think about them as icebreakers to get to know your coworkers. Having a
3. Ask a non-IT coworker about their vacation plans
Usually the first thing people at work ask you when passing in the hallway or running into each other in the kitchen is how your day is going or how your weekend was. People do not usually think much before they give a response, and you do not get much of an opening to get to know the person. By asking someone about their vacation plans, you get a chance to find out multiple things. You get to find out places they like to travel and things they enjoy to do with their free time. On the other hand if someone's first response is to talk about how busy their work is and that their schedule makes a vacation just a dream, then you'll know that they are probably pretty stressed out. Either of these scenarios gives you valuable knowledge for dealing with that person and building a closer relationship.
4. Review your priorities
Setting your priorities is more than just what work your boss gives you. If you keep the needs and wants of the people you are supporting in mind, you can prioritize better to increase the customer service component of IT. While each individual person likely wants their issue dealt with first, you have to be figure out which ones to put at the top of the priority list. One way to help organize your task list to use a chart of importance and urgency. Divide a sheet of paper into four quadrants. Label the horizontal axis urgent and the vertical access important. Go through your task list putting items into one of the four quadrants - not important/not urgent, important/not urgent, not important/urgent, and important/urgent. The first place to work is in the important/urgent area. Items in the not important/not urgent quadrant might need to be reassessed as to whether they should even be on your task list.
5. Make realistic commitments
Part of setting the right priorities is making realistic commitments. When a new task or problem comes to you, be realistic about when you will get it done. If someone wants something tomorrow but you know that is not going to be possible, be honest about it and offer a time for when you can have it taken care of. People remember when you fail to meet your commitments. With that in mind, don't let commitments just silently slip by unnoticed. Situations change, and you have to keep people informed if something comes along that forces you to change your commitments. Every person in an organization has things that occasionally come up the cause other work to be delayed, so be honest with them and they'll hopefully understand.
6. Read a periodical covering your industry
If you want to understand the issues facing your organization, you have to start by getting an understanding of the industry. Most industries have a magazine, journal, or at least a web site that has content covering the latest news or topics of interest to the industry. These stories will give you a broad view of your company's products, services, competition, customers, or anything else that presents an obstacle or opportunity. A query in your favorite search engine should be able to give you a list of industry periodicals. Read an article from one of these sources at least once a week or as often as you have interest and time allows.
7. Take a business class
It can be challenging to understand the language of business. Taking a class or seminar through a community college or other resource can fill an important gap in your knowledge if you give business people the same face they give you when you talk technical. If you are meeting with a member of your company's accounts receivable, it would be useful to know what they mean by terms such as "bad debt" and "risk management". A class in accounting will teach you about debits and credits, how expenses and revenues are tracked, and the time value of money. Through a course in business management, you will potentially learn topics like human resource management, change management, and ethics.
8. Read your company's marketing materials
Now that you have a good understanding of the industry and basic business operations, it is time to gain a greater understanding of your specific company. The first stop on this process is to read your company's marketing materials - brochures, fliers, web site, etc. Reading the company's marketing materials tells you about the specific products and services your company offers. Watch for how the company talks about itself and its products. Is there something in the materials that connects back to the work you do directly?
9. Talk about a business process with someone outside of IT
This task is one of the most powerful things for building a strong relationship with your non-IT coworkers while gaining an understanding of the business at the same time. Not only will you find out the non-IT aspects of the process, but you will also find out what areas are particularly challenging or difficult for the person you talk to. When I run into a particularly stressed person during the course of my work, I try to plan a time to sit with them to talk about the things that are really making work difficult for them. If I can give them an IT-based solution that really works, they gain a greater understanding and respect for what IT can do.
10. Volunteer for a company committee
It's time now to get directly involved in projects throughout the organization. Every organization forms groups or committees to accomplish specific tasks. If you hear about one of these or are present when one is formed, volunteer to be on it. Being on a team shows that you are interested in the business beyond IT, and it will also expose you to other aspects of the business. Teams offer opportunities to improve relationships, demonstrate leadership, and gain understanding. By working on this area, you bring together all the aspects of what you have learned in the other nine areas.
