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etc.), processes are a must. I've come to understand that
delays arise not from any attributes of an IT team, but the
circumstances under which they're operating.
The best processes in the world will barely matter if
the work you want done is deemed "extra" compared to
everything else handled by the IT department. There are
a long list of responsibilities for these teams that are more
important than implementing
new innovation software.
Implementation procedures
are important, but the resource
allocation priorities of IT provide
ample justification for postponing
innovation efforts.
Further, if an IT team seems
genuinely resistant it might be
because, though they don't get
any reward for implementing
new software, they certainly take
on all the risk. It doesn't matter
if something was or wasn't IT's
idea, any cybersecurity issue
is always seen as IT's fault. As
Gary Moore explains, in any
industry, "technical function is
often last to get on board". And the
way past this is not in processes
but in changing incentives. As
Moore explains: "IT only get on board after the executive
function makes it a priority, which they will only do after a
department makes it clear they have a problem."
Dedicated Innovation Resources
Resources are indeed a crucial piece to any endeavor. But
they are quite malleable to their circumstances. Having
an innovation fund doesn't guarantee a firm will invest
in the right technolo. Similarly, just because a firm has
dedicated staff working on innovation doesn't mean the
rest of the firm is receptive to their efforts. Getting a firm to
buy new software is one thing, getting a firm to actually use
it is often quite another. So just like processes, resources
are crucial and yet limited in their effectiveness.
While resources and
processes are often enablers
of what a firm can do, a firm's
values can represent constraints
by outlining what a firm cannot
do. A firm with one set of values
would be incapable of succeeding
in anything other than the work
that aligns with those values. The
"subtle and systematic forces"
of the organization won't allow
it – even with dedicated staff and
budget. Christensen's observation
that "organizations cannot disrupt
themselves" implies how deeply
an organization must change
in order to shift its values and
corresponding business model in
order to adapt. The magnitude of
this change is why he suggests an
organization build an off-shoot
organization with values that lead to better outcomes,
or undertake a herculean managerial effort in order to
redesign itself.
Strong leadership support
I've spoken before about the massive shift in required skills
involved in going from lawyer to managing a law firm. And
F E A T U R E S
"It doesn't matter
if something
was or wasn't
IT's idea, any
cybersecurity
issue is always
seen as IT's
fault."
