“Ten IT Collisions…and how to avoid them. Here, Utah State’s Rory Weaver gives us an ERP project manager’s view of the intersection of people and process.

10. Opinion vs. Knowledge

• Those most willing to venture an opinion are often those with the
  least knowledge.
• Make sure planning is based on real knowledge, not someone’s bias.
• Include subject-matter experts in the early stages of planning.

9. Discussion vs. Communication

• Consider: Is an application a computer program or a form to fill out?
• Never assume that discussion participants understand each other.
• Always clarify terminology, jargon and, especially, acronyms.

8. Supervision vs. Accountability

• Exhibit excellence in your instructions and you’ll get excellence in response.
• Anyone included in decisions will share ownership and accountability
  for outcomes.

7. Perks vs. Paychecks

• Don’t count on salary alone to reward IT professionals.
• IT pros love the latest gizmos (iPods, cell-phone cameras, high-end workstations). Give them the current “tool” and you’ll reap your investment tenfold.

6. Dictatorship vs. Diplomacy

• From dress code to coding, back-office programmers and IT pros resent being dictated to.
• Demanding compliance without clear definitions and justifications
  generates resistance.
• “Asking” for technical help yields dividends.

5. Order vs. Chaos

• A business pro’s idea of order can be an IT pro’s straightjacket.
• Straighten your own tie but not a techie’s desk.
• Programmers “iterate” until order is achieved (it’s called ‘debugging’).
  The process may appear chaotic to the uninitiated—don’t meddle with it.
• Strive for structure with flexibility.

4. Exploration vs. Conclusion

• If conclusions are not reached in meetings, make sure all understand:
  Discussions are discussions.
• Document, publish, broadcast, and implement decisions quickly.

3. Mission Statement vs. Work Ethic

• Business strategists may have clearly articulated mission statements,
  but back-office IT pros might not be as tuned in.
• The best business leaders capitalize on IT pros’ passion for their trade.

2. Committees vs. Teams

• Business leaders prefer committees of stakeholder members (square pegs)
• IT shops prefer team models where members contribute individual talents (round holes).
• Good business strategists utilize both models to advance enterprise mission.
  

1. Ivory Tower Strategies vs. Grass Roots Realities

• Know the difference between needs and wants. Be realistic.
• Management requests sometimes exceed system capabilities. Techies
  know capabilities.
• Include techies in high-level strategic planning. They help keep “pie in the sky” on the table, so all can enjoy the fruits of their labors.