All posts by jjones

Recently, I served on a panel at an IT conference. The topic of the panel discussion was “Bridging the Communication Gap Between Business and Technology in the Workplace”. The panelists represented three distinct areas of the market. One panelist was VP of IT for a company in the construction industry. His IT staff is relatively small. The other panelist was SVP of Enterprise Data Services for a very large financial institution. She manages a large staff of 70+ people. Then there was me – the President of a “Boutique” Business Management Consulting firm, who works with clients of all sizes and in various industries. So as you see – the panel was very diverse, which allowed us to examine the issue from many points of view.

Of course, we covered the basics like business to technology collaboration in strategy & roadmap development, ensuring alignment and inclusion, and creating a comprehensive communication strategy. All of which the panel agreed are essential to “bridging the communication gap”.

Additionally, however, a lot of key points were made around the area of “seeking to understand”. What does that entail? Seeking to understand is simply asking questions, actively listening and clarifying answers to ensure a mutual understanding. These basic actions are referred to as “Elicitation” or “Soft” skills, which are traditionally associated with Analysts, but when it comes to successful communication, we’re all Analysts!

Let’s break this down further using a simple non-IT example, like building a new single-family housing community. Building the single-family housing community is the high-level strategic objective. Applicable parties [inclusion], collaborate to round out the strategic vision. Then the plans are communicated to participants of the project.

Let’s say you’re the architect on the project, and you’re working with a potential buyer of one of the homes to be built. Your objective is to “seek to understand” the potential buyers needs and desires for their new home. Through “elicitation”, you’ll ask the buyer a series of questions to help determine the type of house you’re architecting.

The first set of questions might include:

What style of home – Craftsman, Ranch, Bungalow, etc.?
Single- or multi-level?
How many bedrooms? Bathrooms?
Open floor plan?
Desired square footage?
Basement, crawl-space or slab?
Etc.
After a few interviews, you, the architect should have elicited enough information to draw-up an initial plan, which is presented back to the potential buyer to ensure mutual understanding of the buyers needs and desires for their new home. “Elicitation” is an iterative process that takes place at each phase of the project to continuously maintain a mutual understanding.

The concept is the same regardless of industry, and there are many “elicitation” techniques. We “seek to understand” to define the project scope, understand the genesis of a new request, or peel back the layers to determine the root cause of an issue. We then review our findings, our understanding, with the requestor (client/stakeholder/business partner) to ensure we’re aligned and in agreement on the success criteria.

For some, “elicitation” skills come naturally, and others find it outside their comfort zone. For those of us that fall in the latter category, you’ll be thrilled to know that these skills can be learned! This whole notion of “seeking to understand” using “elicitation” or “soft” skills is such a critical component in bridging the communication gap between business and IT, that companies like Bridging the Gap have developed an entire curriculum designed to teach us to find ways around obstacles that deal with political agendas, communication, collaboration and attitudes.

Whether you’re in IT or the Business, and regardless of your role, an Analyst, Architect, Product Owner or Developer, you too are responsible for building a relationship of trust with your colleagues, on both sides of the isle, and ensuring the message being communicated is mutually understood.

Seeking to Understand. iSeek is adept at using “Elicitation”, “Soft” skills and various other approaches to facilitate customer-focused solutions and bridging the communication gap between business and technology. To find out more about our tools and techniques, subscribe to our blog and stay tuned for future insights, or call or e-mail us today!

Business challenges, particularly those involving change, can cripple even the most successful enterprise. In an effort to make smart decisions, many CEOs and boards of directors grapple with how to navigate complex situations. One approach in particular is growing in popularity: hiring professional interim executives – often through management consulting firms – to bridge existing gaps in knowledge, skills, and leadership.

What Traits Should an Interim Executive Have?

While they vary widely in skills and abilities, the best interim executives have a few traits in common – they are dynamic and proven problem-solvers who get things done. Whether you’re experiencing a reorganization, an acquisition, or another pressing challenge, the ideal candidate has the skills, personality, and energy to help transform obstacles into opportunities.

Avoid This Common Mistake

A common mistake is to approach the interim executive search as a temp-to-hire situation. While it may work in some cases, an individual seeking a permanent position may have different priorities than a professional interim. Unlike executives hired for the long haul, the interim comes onboard to address an immediate but temporary need. In most cases, a decision has been made that requires leadership from an expert well versed in a particular area, such as change or crisis management.

So if someone has the required skills, what’s the difference? In our experience and others’, the professional interim may be less influenced by company politics, obsolete policies, and personal considerations that could affect his or her future in the organization. By definition, these experts expect and desire to share knowledge, transition leadership to another individual (or team), and basically “work themselves out of a job.” This introduces a degree of objectivity that could ultimately be the key to your success.

Can an interim executive help you through challenging times? Read this article in Fortune magazine for additional insights. To learn how iSeek can help your company overcome difficult challenges, call or e-mail us today!

Have you noticed how executives tend to set company direction and then try to mold existing employees to fit the required roles? Have you also noticed how often those companies need to reorganize? The reason is simple: they’re getting it backwards!

Think of your company as a bus and your highest executive as the driver. Using that analogy, leadership expert Jim Collins makes this observation: “Leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats.”

So How Do I Begin?
When facing any business challenge, remember these simple truths before you map out a direction:

1) If the people on the bus came along because they like the stated destination, what happens when you need to change your plans? Will they resist the change and become unproductive? Invite people on the bus who simply want to work with the other great people aboard. That will contribute to a more pleasant and successful trip!
2) If the right people are on the bus, there’s no need for elaborate motivational schemes. The right people are self-motivated and expect to produce exceptional results.
3) If the wrong people are on the bus, nothing else you do matters. You might head in the right direction, but the success you seek will elude you. The right vision with the wrong people produces mediocre results, at best.

Want more information? I highly recommend Jim Collins’ informative video series. To find out how iSeek can help you organize for success, contact us today! If you like this blog post, please share and subscribe!