The Technology Putsch

I've recently read Heller's The CIO Paradox, a collection of stories, quotes, and random bits of advice for technology executives who are seeking to seize power within their organizations.  It's an interesting perspective on an ongoing problem of internal conflict between business units that wish to leverage the benefits of technology to improve their operations and a technology department that wishes to leverage this desire to exert control over those they are meant to serve.   On that level, there's quite some food for thought when struggling with an IT department to get the support you need to accomplish organizational goals - but when you consider it as a metaphor for customer service (the IT department being a service provider within an organization), it provides some keen insight as to the motives that lead firms to constantly do the wrong things.

The Literal Level: IT versus Everyone

On the literal level, what we see in the information technology profession, across various firms and industries, is an attempt of a supporting actor to take center stage.   One need only look to the nature and evolution of IT departments to recognize this.

The nature of information systems is that they are equipment, much as any other equipment operated by a business.  In fact, the IT department was seeded in the purchasing and facilities departments of most firms, such that the clerk who once ordered pencils and ledgers expanded his purchasing to telephones and photocopiers, and later expanded it to desktop computers.   In that sense, the technology executives' putsch seems as irrational as i
f the clerk who ordered telephones sought to tell anyone who used a telephone whom they were allowed to call and what they were allowed to say.

However, the evolution of technology is much more insidious.  The computer was initially a glorified calculator, but has since evolved to become more integrated with operations, such that the technology no longer supports operations but controls them - a clerk cannot process an invoice outside of the computer systems, and must accept the awkwardness and limitations of the processes that the systems require in order to be used.   The relationship between the departments seems to be following quite the same pattern, in which the technology department is no longer supporting business operations, but dictating how the business will operate.

Naturally, this has led to quite a lot of politics, infighting, and utter counterproductivity. This parasitic mode of "collaboration" has been mutually dissatisfactory, and the present state of affairs is for the IT department to seek full control, no longer bothered by the needs of the rest of the business - who, meanwhile, are concerned with accomplishing organizational goals for which they are held accountable.

A Broader View for Customer Service

The intentional topic of the book is interesting, in the manner of getting a glimpse of an opponent's playbook, but taken in a broader sense, it has significant implications for customer service.   That is, the IT department is an internal supplier who supports and provides service to the organization, much in the way the organization itself is a supplier who supports and provides service to its customers.  The dysfunction and failure of the former relationship is in many ways similar to that of the latter.

Consider the fundamental perspective of the technology executive who wishes to exert control because he feels that his colleagues' lack of technical expertise leads them to fail to fully exploit the capabilities of technology.   This seems little different from the firm that wishes to "educate" its customers as to the uses of its product, because they are not aware of the full range of capabilities of their product.

That's not to say that customers would not benefit from greater awareness of the benefits and features of a given product - but that there is a line to be drawn between giving advice and suggestions and attempting to control.    It is entirely possible that, with the best of intentions, a firm can cross that line.   It seems far more likely that these "good intentions" are a convenient whitewash for a more self-serving agenda.

The relationship becomes clearly dysfunctional when it is no longer consensual.   That is, a service provider should only seek to provide service to those that want it, should be similarly cautious of being overbearing in providing advice and guidance, and should be constantly concerned as to whether their ultimate motive is to deliver greater benefit to the customer, or achieve more power (and income) for themselves.

The signs are fairly obvious as to when that line has been crossed: there is tension.   A customer who feels beset will attempt to escape or minimize the damage done to them by an overbearing vendor, and will withdraw their trust when they feel that they are being taken advantage of.   Whatever the ostensible motives of their assailant, they are still compelled to defend.

Back to the Book

Since this meditation started with Heller's book, it's likely necessary to state that the thoughts above are in reaction to only one facet.  The author does suggest at technology executives should be more transparent, work on supportive relationships, and otherwise act as a reliable service provider to promote the general welfare of the organization - but given that the main thrust of the work is in aggregating authority, power, and control to the top technology executive, the more positive passages seem a bit disingenuous, to leverage trust so it can be subverted to a more insidious agenda.