Why IT and Communications professionals need to sit together...

This week I met several professional Internal Communicators at the Melcrum conference (see my post below) and over the week end I'll meet about 20 CIOs from several Belgian public and private organisations...

Both want(ed) to hear about "social media" or how to use social media within the enterprise and make it work.

While a couple of days ago I defended the case that internal communicators need to sit together with their IT counterpart in order to be able to make their projects a success - I will do exactly the same with the CIOs I'll meet this week end.

There is a serious "schism" between the two professions while both internal communications and IT are crucial to make enterprise 2.0 projects successful and adapted to the end users.

Where IT professionals often use "bandwidth", "security" & "confidentiality" as the wrong excuses to block employees from accessing the social web - Internal Communications professionals often complain about the "platform IT is imposing on us" or "they don't see it doesn't answer our needs"...

These type of conversations will end up to nothing. It is time for both functions to meet and talk the same language.

If communicators would understand the basics of internet security, infrastructure, roll out plans and product road maps and if IT professionals would start to understand the business value of a social networked enterprise and would be able to put perceived risks into context I do think we would be off to a good start.

The one - but oh so crucial - missing link between the two parties is the business case.

Either IT is blindly following the IT suppliers road map or Communications are asking for "a Facebook like" feature on the intranet... This will not help.

Start by making the business case for social media within the enterprise first;

1. do a cultural audit if need be
2. survey your employees to know where the communication gaps are & ask them what the collaboration pain points are
3. bring these data together and start to define possible benefits you would achieve by reducing the issues/pain points
4. try to detail the benefits in areas of cost reduction, business process improvement etc.. and try to put money behind these.
5. try, together with IT, to find collaboration features (file sharing, social networking, co-creation tools, etc..) and possible platforms which could be a solution for the problem.
6. decide on the tool(s) or platform best suited for your specific needs
7. implement and roll out in full cooperation with the IT and HR department.

I know it is easier said than done and that not all organisations  - or C-level sponsors - are ready for such an approach but talking would already help a lot.

Most internal communicators I know have never met with the IT management of their company and vice -versa. Both functions need to work in tandem if they want to succeed in their organisation.

Yes dear communications colleague - using IE6 in the company is not the way to go - and yes IT colleague, not everyone needs an internal Twitter account - you're both right, but please, sit down and talk.

And then I am wondering.... Should their be a "social media conference" targeted at both audiences ? Would this help ? What do you think ?

Comments

[mathew]

First of all, nice post - I found myself nodding more than once.

The problem you cite, however, goes well beyond the introduction of social media inside the enterprise for internal communications purposes. It's even bigger than the introduction of social media, period. The disconnect between IT and communications professionals is also one of the main reasons for crap public websites as well as poor intranets.

It's the fault of both camps - too many communications people are not only non-technical, they're actually proud of knowing nothing about technology. It's as if they think that 'techie stuff' is somehow beneath them.

And we all know IT staff - and departments - that prefer to sneer at their 'Dumb Users' than actually bother to understand their needs. It's so much easier that way.

And then there's the third group - executives and other decision-makers - who nothing about either, but (naturally) judge the work of all.

Now I probably shouldn't be complaining - I've been building bridges across these gaps for 15 years now, so why should I complain about my gagne-pain?

Possibly because I actually meant 'gag-pain', in English - it's frustrating as hell to bring these groups together. Which is why my colleagues and I are building up a library of internal documents for colleagues and clients about 'everything non-techies you need to know about online comms'.

For think a conference to work, though, it really would have to be structured very carefully.

The problem I have with conferences is that people show up; learn; go back to the office full of good intentions; and then nothing actually happens. Moreover, if the conference is only attended by people from one camp (IT or comms) then noone will get anywhere - each company would have to send reps of both camps to maximise the benefits.

Maybe start with an opening session bringing everyone together to discuss mutual incomprehension. Then parallel sessions, where communications people learn the basics of IT, and IT people learn about the worlds of their clients. And then a closing common session where they exchange notes and figure out what to do next. That could be interesting.

Or what about a weekly training course, attended by IT and comms people from the same companies, instead? A common kick-off in week 1, weekly parallel sessions (1-2 hours each) with weekly homework; and a final common get together in week N?

Just thinking out loud.

[Shannon (ITSoftSkills)]

would a social media conference aimed at both work? if we could get them there maybe, because then they would be talking. And yes they are both right. As you point out, if the business case is laid out and the IT side understands why, who, and how (high level) the business needs to be engaged in social media, and the internal comm side recognizes there are concerns, then a plan can be implemented. That's true of *any* business software/tech need though. If both sides are talking and communicating (i.e., the business case is laid out) the need is met.

From the conversations I've had, tech in general is reluctant to do the social media because for the most part they don't understand the biz implication and use. They just see it as a waste of precious time and bandwidth, not as a business tool. Once they do, they get it and are much more open to opening that door. But there is still that gray area.

I see this as another incarnation of what happened when we needed to put internet access in. who needed, oh the security issues, etc etc. Same thing... it's something that we, as techs, will need to accept and find the best way to deal with it, because it is what businesses need now to do business and to engagement with customers. We just need to get through the growing pains and keep an open mind when listening to the business' desire for access - and learn that in today's (and tomorrow's) world, certain roles (esp communication, pr, and hr) must have social media access to do their jobs