Dear Bob ... My company provides technology services such as software development, database administration, secure remote access, LANs/WANs, and unconventional technology development for the markets we serve. Our biggest problem is with one specific client's IT department, which gained control over the information technology in all divisions five years ago. Our contract and payment is with one of the divisions, Dear Bob …My company provides technology services such as software development, database administration, secure remote access, LANs/WANs, and unconventional technology development for the markets we serve.Our biggest problem is with one specific client’s IT department, which gained control over the information technology in all divisions five years ago. Our contract and payment is with one of the divisions, but everything we do has to be “blessed” by the IT department. Not bad in theory except they are incompetent, comically so. They provide some of the LAN infrastructure to 35+ sites, they also control the servers. The IT director is certifiably crazy – my guess is that he must know where bodies are buried. He didn’t even understand what cable or DSL was until a few months ago when we briefed him at a meeting. Most of the IT staff were okay people before the reorganization, but they left very quickly to find less hassle and better jobs. The pinheads they send out to the division we support more often than not know less about the technology they are working on than the middle school kids who live next door to me. Frequently, when they fix one thing they break two others.The division head is to retire in the next 18 months. He won’t make a break at this point to cut relations with IT and create a divisional IT department. This is obviously needed because IT now only offers support Monday through Friday from 0800 – 1700 – not even by pager – and it’s a 24×7 division.My staff and I are frequently having to do things we aren’t specifically contracted for to correct something that IT has screwed up. It is also incredibly irritating to have to go seek the official blessing for things we need to do. IT isn’t up to date on IT issues, much less on new technologies important to the work of the division. The contract is a good one, but it grows increasingly irritating dealing with these pinheads at the IT department and the fact that the division head doesn’t have the guts to make a break on his own. Most of the time we do things without permission and then seek forgiveness. Otherwise one must argue indefinitely with fools to no avail. (I once was told never to argue with fools because they drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.)I’m curious if you’ve have had to deal with this type of situation and how you might advise handling or improving it.– Dealing with Pinheads Dear Dealing …I’m not sure I have a great answer for you, and I’m not sure there even is an answer for you. The starting point, I’m pretty sure, is to take the very difficult step of assuming the head of IT is neither completely nuts nor completely incompetent. Which is to say, assume things are the way they are for a reason.My guess is that you’re dealing with yet another consequence of out-of-control budget-cutting. In this case, it’s a terribly underfunded IT organization, led by an IT director who might have been adequate before but who has given up, figuring there’s no point in getting an ulcer when the business leaders have decided to gut his budget. So the guy is probably doing what he can with a budget that doesn’t allow him to pay a competitive wage nor to maintain adequate staffing. What can he do? Cut hours and hire mediocrities willing to accept substandard wages in exchange for a shorter work week and lower demands. As I said, just a guess on my part. My advice to you has two parts.The first is to encourage the division head to pressure both his peers in other divisions and the IT director to establish a better IT governance structure and funding model than what’s in place right now. I understand that with 18 months until retirement he’s unlikely to secede from the Union, as it were, but this is a far less radical step.The other is to become the IT Director’s best friend. Find out what his problems are, and at least empathize. Where you can, offer a bit of help. Eventually, you might become his confidant, at which point you’ll be in a position to at least influence events in a positive direction. And if it does turn out the guy is just plain nuts and incompetent, you’ll be in a better position to anticipate and avoid the next set of problems.– Bob ——– Technology Industry