Comments on: Communication and IT: Still an uneasy alliance http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/ Business, Communication, Technology Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:31:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Mr. Dee Rambeau http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-7952 Mr. Dee Rambeau Fri, 15 Sep 2006 20:02:38 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-7952 Sorry about the late response but "the beat goes on...duh duh duh duh duh..." An inherent paradigm in this war between IT and every other department is that many companies are using hugely expensive legacy CMS such as Vignette and the others. Purchased at 6 or 7 figures and installed with great pain anywhere between '95 and the present...there is NO WAY that a department head is going to get any budget or approval for another (even niche) CMS or web tool. The CFO and the head of IT are still trying to justify the SAP/Oracle/Vignette magilla many years later. Hence the popularity of easy-to-implement, fits within a manager's level budget, third-party hosted, templated site tool that bypasses IT's gate. Sorry about the late response but “the beat goes on…duh duh duh duh duh…”

An inherent paradigm in this war between IT and every other department is that many companies are using hugely expensive legacy CMS such as Vignette and the others. Purchased at 6 or 7 figures and installed with great pain anywhere between ‘95 and the present…there is NO WAY that a department head is going to get any budget or approval for another (even niche) CMS or web tool.

The CFO and the head of IT are still trying to justify the SAP/Oracle/Vignette magilla many years later.

Hence the popularity of easy-to-implement, fits within a manager’s level budget, third-party hosted, templated site tool that bypasses IT’s gate.

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6764 Dennis Howlett Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:44:45 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6764 Hmmm - that's probably the difference between yours and my perspective. Comms isn't strategic in my world. It's peripheral. It's support. Doing things that earn revenue is strategic. Putting product on shelves is strategic, blahing about them is noise. Negotiating redcued IT cost is strategic to good business health. Fighting with IT is a distraction. Can anyone show me a PR campaign that measurably supported strategy? Not seen it in my liefetime. Seen plenty of PR support for sales and marketing. Different. But back to the original point about IT and congtrol. There's a genuine fight going on internally - the politics of control - as to who manages IT 'stuff.' The consensus at the moment is that IT needs to manage the core but it has virtually no chance of handling edge stuff like blogs/wikis or tactical purchases, especially if they're SaaS stuff like Salesforce.com. But you are quite wrong to think that Dee is describing something atypical. Talk to any SAP/Oracle shop you like and I think you'll find IT in very firm control for very good reasons. Now - if you ask whether that will always be the way, then that's a different question. Think 2010>2012. Hmmm - that’s probably the difference between yours and my perspective. Comms isn’t strategic in my world. It’s peripheral. It’s support. Doing things that earn revenue is strategic. Putting product on shelves is strategic, blahing about them is noise. Negotiating redcued IT cost is strategic to good business health. Fighting with IT is a distraction.

Can anyone show me a PR campaign that measurably supported strategy? Not seen it in my liefetime. Seen plenty of PR support for sales and marketing. Different.

But back to the original point about IT and congtrol. There’s a genuine fight going on internally - the politics of control - as to who manages IT ’stuff.’ The consensus at the moment is that IT needs to manage the core but it has virtually no chance of handling edge stuff like blogs/wikis or tactical purchases, especially if they’re SaaS stuff like Salesforce.com.

But you are quite wrong to think that Dee is describing something atypical. Talk to any SAP/Oracle shop you like and I think you’ll find IT in very firm control for very good reasons. Now - if you ask whether that will always be the way, then that’s a different question. Think 2010>2012.

]]> By: neville http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6761 neville Tue, 22 Aug 2006 02:24:22 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6761 Dennis, I'd define 'strategic' quite simply (and broadly) in this or any business context - a communication activity that is designed to meaurably support the organization's business objectives. How you go about implementing the activity, including what tools you might use and how you'd use them, are the tactics. How would you define it? David, your last point is to the point, so to speak - if PR and IT actually get together face to face and talk about the overall issue, perhaps they might find the solution that the buisness requires. Maybe they did do that but you can't really tell that from the letter. Dennis, I’d define ’strategic’ quite simply (and broadly) in this or any business context - a communication activity that is designed to meaurably support the organization’s business objectives. How you go about implementing the activity, including what tools you might use and how you’d use them, are the tactics.

How would you define it?

David, your last point is to the point, so to speak - if PR and IT actually get together face to face and talk about the overall issue, perhaps they might find the solution that the buisness requires. Maybe they did do that but you can’t really tell that from the letter.

]]> By: Communication and IT: Still an uneasy alliance at NevilleHobson.com at newvibes.com http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6750 Communication and IT: Still an uneasy alliance at NevilleHobson.com at newvibes.com Mon, 21 Aug 2006 16:51:07 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6750 [...] I just read the article Communication and IT: Still an uneasy alliance at NevilleHobson.com which reminded me a lot about the conflicts I and many others face when you find yourself in a situation where the IT folk in a workplace are not on the same level as the PR folk in terms of an IT strategy and a public relations strategy. I find myself in a situation where I’m part of the IT infrastructure and also part of the PR and Public Liason unit and as such I get a good insight into the views on both in regards to the ownership of the content. Is it the IT department, which owns the infrastructure, or is it the communicators, who own the content? [...] [...] I just read the article Communication and IT: Still an uneasy alliance at NevilleHobson.com which reminded me a lot about the conflicts I and many others face when you find yourself in a situation where the IT folk in a workplace are not on the same level as the PR folk in terms of an IT strategy and a public relations strategy. I find myself in a situation where I’m part of the IT infrastructure and also part of the PR and Public Liason unit and as such I get a good insight into the views on both in regards to the ownership of the content. Is it the IT department, which owns the infrastructure, or is it the communicators, who own the content? [...]

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6741 Dennis Howlett Mon, 21 Aug 2006 05:29:34 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6741 Can you define strategic in the context you describe Neville? Can you define strategic in the context you describe Neville?

]]> By: David Johnston http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6735 David Johnston Mon, 21 Aug 2006 03:26:05 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6735 Left a rebuttal to Steve on the source, basically stating that the managers need to communicate and come to a common understanding. And, like neville said, a person common to both needs to get involved and get everyone to come to a common decision and plan of action. Dominic, while you are reading between the lines of the letter with the power struggles (which always exists, even if just do to ego and not wanting to ask for help) the letter reads that way because it is technical in nature, and techies (especially when they get technical) just come across harsh. A better solution would have been to send a shorter note and instead setup a meeting to go over what PR needs to do and how IT can help. <a href="http://www.birdofire.com/blog/?p=8" rel="nofollow">My US$.02</a> (external commentary permalink) Left a rebuttal to Steve on the source, basically stating that the managers need to communicate and come to a common understanding. And, like neville said, a person common to both needs to get involved and get everyone to come to a common decision and plan of action.

Dominic, while you are reading between the lines of the letter with the power struggles (which always exists, even if just do to ego and not wanting to ask for help) the letter reads that way because it is technical in nature, and techies (especially when they get technical) just come across harsh. A better solution would have been to send a shorter note and instead setup a meeting to go over what PR needs to do and how IT can help.

My US$.02 (external commentary permalink)

]]> By: Phoenix Information Managment Services, LLC » Blog Archive » Communication and IT - Can’t we all just get along? http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6733 Phoenix Information Managment Services, LLC » Blog Archive » Communication and IT - Can’t we all just get along? Mon, 21 Aug 2006 02:49:58 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6733 [...] Discussion @ nevillehobson.com [...] [...] Discussion @ nevillehobson.com [...]

]]> By: neville http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6731 neville Mon, 21 Aug 2006 02:06:36 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6731 Dennis, the word 'dinosaur' often applies to communicators. It's not an IT exclusive. I'm sure you're right about resistance to change. Yet I could point out two listed UK companies where the type of change I mention in the post is being warmly embraced by IT. Radical change. Maybe that's the real edge of the bubble you mention. As for most cases being tactical, that's not my experience. Dominic, it's a good point re the CEO as the change driver. My experience, too is when that's in place, whether its the CEO or other senior leader, change happens whether it's online communication or another area. The FT article you mention about TNT is <a href="http://www.webranking.nu/pressrelease____217.aspx" rel="nofollow">linked from the Webranking.nu website</a>. Can't read the article though - FT server error on every attempt. But here's the link anyway - http://news.ft.com/cms/52a886d8-6be0-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.html Dennis, the word ‘dinosaur’ often applies to communicators. It’s not an IT exclusive.

I’m sure you’re right about resistance to change. Yet I could point out two listed UK companies where the type of change I mention in the post is being warmly embraced by IT. Radical change. Maybe that’s the real edge of the bubble you mention.

As for most cases being tactical, that’s not my experience.

Dominic, it’s a good point re the CEO as the change driver. My experience, too is when that’s in place, whether its the CEO or other senior leader, change happens whether it’s online communication or another area.

The FT article you mention about TNT is linked from the Webranking.nu website. Can’t read the article though - FT server error on every attempt. But here’s the link anyway -

http://news.ft.com/cms/52a886d8-6be0-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.html

]]> By: Dominic Jones http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6725 Dominic Jones Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:53:05 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6725 Dennis is right about the power struggles. That comes through quite clearly even in the letter that started this all. Instead of focusing on the technical weaknesses of the PR department's proposal, the guy got all political, basically accusing the PR department of not being on the same "team" as everyone else. Not helpful. I'd add to this discussion that in my experience in the investor relations area, companies that get online communication usually have a very senior executive driving the change. It might be a CEO or a CFO, usually a younger one (in their early 40s) and someone who appreciates the value of communication in general, not just online. The same often applies when companies have communicators at the executive level, but not always. TNT NV in the Netherlands, which won the FT's best corporate website last year, has such a CEO. In an interview with the FT at the time, he said something along the lines of having grown up with technology whereas most of his CEO peers had not and so didn't understand its importance. The article doesn't appear to be available. Dennis is right about the power struggles. That comes through quite clearly even in the letter that started this all. Instead of focusing on the technical weaknesses of the PR department’s proposal, the guy got all political, basically accusing the PR department of not being on the same “team” as everyone else. Not helpful.

I’d add to this discussion that in my experience in the investor relations area, companies that get online communication usually have a very senior executive driving the change. It might be a CEO or a CFO, usually a younger one (in their early 40s) and someone who appreciates the value of communication in general, not just online. The same often applies when companies have communicators at the executive level, but not always.

TNT NV in the Netherlands, which won the FT’s best corporate website last year, has such a CEO. In an interview with the FT at the time, he said something along the lines of having grown up with technology whereas most of his CEO peers had not and so didn’t understand its importance. The article doesn’t appear to be available.

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/comment-page-1/#comment-6723 Dennis Howlett Sun, 20 Aug 2006 12:59:40 +0000 http://www.nevillehobson.com/2006/08/19/communication-and-it-still-an-uneasy-alliance/#comment-6723 David is right. You're living on the edge of a bubble, most others are not. Calling them dinosaurs isn't helpful. Remember dinosaurs were the most successful species to occupy the planet. Until the shrews took over. If you were privy to the internal discussions going on at certain global companies - as I am - you'd know there is huge resistance to change because this is nothing to do with tech and everything to do with power struggles. Ever it was so. Calling this 'social' exacerbates the problem. No-one (and I mean no-one) wants social-psych meat heads running the show. They want process control. And rightly so. What is happening now in MOST cases is far from strategic. It's tactical though it may becdome strategic over time. Utlimately, this is not about IT changing but everyone changing. Otherwise you negate any potential for compromise along the way. This 'stuff' requires a negotiated settlement that moves with the wave. IM(NVH)O. David is right. You’re living on the edge of a bubble, most others are not. Calling them dinosaurs isn’t helpful. Remember dinosaurs were the most successful species to occupy the planet. Until the shrews took over.

If you were privy to the internal discussions going on at certain global companies - as I am - you’d know there is huge resistance to change because this is nothing to do with tech and everything to do with power struggles. Ever it was so.

Calling this ’social’ exacerbates the problem. No-one (and I mean no-one) wants social-psych meat heads running the show. They want process control. And rightly so.

What is happening now in MOST cases is far from strategic. It’s tactical though it may becdome strategic over time.

Utlimately, this is not about IT changing but everyone changing. Otherwise you negate any potential for compromise along the way. This ’stuff’ requires a negotiated settlement that moves with the wave. IM(NVH)O.

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