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From the book Service Within
“Data processing [sic Information Technology] departments very commonly have the image of being a bunch of “propeller-heads,” i.e., self-absorbed techies who don’t deal well with people and who are blissfully indifferent to the pressures of time and the needs of the business.
Often Seen as:
- Preoccupied with data processing [sic technology] for its own sake.
- Socially backward; unable to communicate in plain English.
- More concerned with the mechanics of technology than with the purpose it should serve....
Typical User Complaints:
- The place is a black hole. Ask for a simple system change and they tell you it’ll be 18 months – if you’re lucky.
- They refuse to listen to what I say I want; they want to tell me what I need.
In Their Defense:
- More work than they can handle.... Constantly changing priorities affect customer timetables.
- Highly technical internal culture makes it difficult for them to think in the customer’s terms.
- The mission of developing the total information system capability often conflicts with the short-term interests and demands of user; they are often in a no-win situation.