Engaging the business

Dear Bob …

What are your tools of choice for actively involving upper management or “executives with vision” in constructive work? What I’m looking for must effectively involve high-level people who don’t have a lot of time or patience, without devolving into showing them Powerpoints and giving them multiple-choice decisions to make.

– Business-oriented

Dear Oriented …

Simple, practical tools for involving upper management? There are two basic elements to the toolkit – relationship management, and the governance process.

The relationship management piece is one I’ve mentioned lots of times. Without it, all you have at your disposal are facts and logic, and an audience with no patience to hear either of them. With it, you get the time you need to make your case.

The governance piece is straightforward, and I’ve also mentioned it from time to time: IT signs up for the costs; the business sponsor signs up for the benefits; the project manager and business sponsor take joint responsibility for the project’s success or there’s no project.

Nuthin’ to it, other than getting companies to buy into it.

– Bob

Dear Bob …

I still feel like there is a disconnect somewhere. I can’t put my finger on it, though.

Unless it’s this: the two elements to the toolkit may be “basic” but they’re not actually “simple”; the devil is still in the details of this particular toolkit, just as it would be in implementation of any plan.

– Business-oriented

Dear Oriented …

I never meant to say they were simple as in easy. I meant to say they’re simple as in uncomplicated.

Both require hard work, consistency, and diligence.

The also require that someone makes sure that behind all the relationship-building and governance processes are solid delivery mechanisms, so that IT can keep the promises it makes. That’s far from easy.

Or simple.

– Bob