As we grow up, there are a various times in our lives when we realise that we are not as special as we always believed that we are; or certainly that we are less important than we thought. This can be the arrival of a younger sibling or the birth of a child, these sort of events can effect us greatly and the feelings resulting from them can be quite painful but it is all a necessary part of growing, learning who we are and changing our perspective.
And as it is for people, so it is for Business and Business function; the moment you believe that you are special as a matter of right, something is going to come along and disrupt that centre.
Internal IT functions have for a long time believed that they are special, we all know that they are not. But so do many Businesses and other functions; I’ve lost track of the number times that someone has tried to convince me that they don’t have to follow a process because they are special. And yet we find ourselves kow-towing to that attitude all the time; internally and externally we find ourselves making exceptions to rules….whether it is to the Mega-Corporation who does not want to pay tax or the the Senior Manager who believes that they should not have to follow the internal IT policy.
However, I do believe that we should embrace difference; the department that wants to work differently because it supports their processes, they should be supported. You change the rules but don’t make exceptions; if the rules don’t work, don’t ignore the rules but change them. And at times, don’t be afraid to tear up the rule book and come up with a completely new set of rules; pick up that ball and run with it.
I look around at the moment and I see so many people and companies trying to put in exceptions and workarounds to fit their business models and activities; trying to foreclose on the potential disruption that is coming…believing that they are special; from banking to broadcast…when they might be better tearing up their play-book and starting again.
No-one believed that you could win a major Football tournament without strikers, Spain showed that you can…you just have to play differently.
