Communicating Technology Risk To " The Board"

Last week I was invited to speak at a meeting of the Technology stream of Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment ( CISI ). Well actually it was to lead a table discussion rather than straight up speaking, but followed my membership of a Panel tackling the same topic towards the back end of last year.

The contention was  technology risk is increasingly important (and potentially damaging) to a company, yet "Boards" do not understandand the subject. The initial brief was to explore why with this follow-on session looking at what attendees could do to improve matters.

While other tables looked at demographics, strategy and regulation, my table looked at the practical human elements of how we communicate.

In chairing the table I needed to seed the discussion so I (pr)offered the "4 P's". They are

• Parlance(*)
• Persective
• Precipice
• Partnership?

* I actually used Presentation on the day, but Parlance is better.

I wanted the first to be "Jaragon", but without a silent "P" it didn't fit with the plan so Parlance works. Essentially it was the point that technology professionals talk in some much jargon and "tech" speak that most business people glaze over and stop listening. A colleague made the point that if, in making an IT point, one has to use the system name or a TLA (work it out! :) ) then you have failed to communicate clearly. It is much better to describe the purpose or function of the technology than give it some brand name. For example, "the data base holding our client information has an increasing number of inaccuracies and errors" is better than "the integrity of the XYZbase is intermittently compromised". OK I exaggereate for effect but you get the idea.

Check: This point received unanimous nods of recognition from the attendees.

The second point was that the Perspective of technology is often different to the business, and the Board is heavily weighted to the business. For the business the loss of a website of a client facing system for 5 minutes could be more concerning than the fact that a backup data centre is doubling its prices. Again exaggeration, but illustrative.

Check: This again was recognised by everyone

The third term Precipice was about the number of times that IT items are presented as if the business is standing on a precipice, ie unless it does what is asked disaster awaits. The sub-text being that they have no choice. I know if I try and communicate this way with my teenage daughter it is more than likely that she will dig her heels in and do nothing. Every time I end up in that position makes the next subject even harder to tackle. Now far be it from me to suggest that Boards could act like petulant teenagers, but I do think there are some useful parallels.

Check: The table members acknowledged the issue too.

The last item intentionally has a question mark. The way I presented it was that one often hears about there being a partnership between business and IT, but in my opinion this is not the case. While IT want a partnership, the business generally doesn't it wants a service. This leads to each party having different expecations.

Check: Again more nods.

Subsequent discussion supported these points and brought out a few more. Notably a number of members talked about the gap between IT and business and that greater integration is needed One observation was that it is rare for IT middle management to attend internal business meetings; meetings that would help their understanding of the business perspective and aid the building of relationships that will make communication easier.

It was also observed that the term "partner" has two parties built into it, not one integrated body. In a related observation some attendees reported how much better things were when IT was co-located with the business and not in a separate building or even continent.

A slightly tangential comment made at the table was a sceptical observation on the value of CPD of "continuing professional development" as a worthless box-ticking exercise.

The group acknowledged that the onus was on changing oneself rather than demanding changes in others so when we came to thoughts in what could be done to improve matters the following points were raised:-

• Endeavour to co-locate IT and the business where possible.
• Encourage IT leaders to attend and mingle with the business at different levels
• Develop some of the softer, relationship skills of those representing IT
• Have a non-IT person read any important paper/presentation BEFORE it is given out
• Can we include business knowledge and softer skills in the CPD framework for IT professionals, a double whammy if you like?

A common excuse of for makingchanges such as these is that they need permission/agreement from the business, but is that really true? Can we not all make sensible, if small, steps in the right direction.

Do you recognise the issue(s)? Do you have any other suggestions that we should share?

What an interesting year for Rugby!!!

They do say that unexpected results are what makes sport so interesting; when the underdog comes good or someone comes good at the right time.

Well as a rugby fan that is certainly the case. Yesterday a team, Scotland, that enjoyed (if that is the right expression) less than 30% of the possession, played in their own half of the field for over  3/4 of the time and were required to make almost three times as many tackles.........won the game.

Their defence was ferocious, manic and sometimes "just there", but it held aganist an Irish team that was profligate in the way it wasted opportunities. 12-8 is what goes into the records....and that is what counts.

A better French side turned up on Saturday and gave England a match until their management decided to take all the best players off..well almost all. In contrast I think England brought some of their best on....I think Youngs and Vunipola were better than Hartley and Marler, but it is just relative.

So in a few short months, New Zealand were stuffed by an emerging Engand side (no-one expected that), Italy beat France (again!), Ireland not just snatched, but fully embraced defeat when even a child would have expected victory. In a few weeks time this could be capped with the possibility of France playing Ireland for the wooden spoon (though I still think Italy are in with a shout) and Scotland contending for third place in the Six Nations.

I bet the bookies are struggling to know which way to turn. I suspect that more than a few loyal Scottish supporters would have partied well on their winnings.

With the Lions coming up and little more than two years until a home Rugby World Cup, I am really looking forward to more interesting results and hope (maybe I should say believe) that we have yet to see the best of Lancaster's England and that they should be a force in 2015.

Maybe I will go look at the odds on them now and place a bet.

"Right timing" & "Co-operative Compliance"

When I started in my current role I proposed two terms or concepts to my Programme Steering Committee. I now seem to use them with increasing frequency across a wider range of change so I thought it worth capturing and sharing them here.

I will caveat this piece at the start that these have been applied to the tsunami (or is a morass?) of regulatory change hitting the world of financial services, but probably apply as well to any situation where the drivers (and rules) relating to the change emerge as a slow reveal over an extended period.

The terms were:-

• Right Timing; and
• Cooperative Compliance

Right Timing relates to judging the right time to move into action. This is often a fine line, between not starting too late and having enough confidence in what is needed. Start too early and you could easily waste scarce resource doing work that is not needed or has to be redone, start too late and you miss the market.

This is currently very relevant to the world of regulation where there is a huge amount going on without the commensurate clarity or certainty. While high level intent is (relatively) easy to set, the devil is often in the proverbial detail, especially if there are many agencies involved in drafting the final (local?) rules. This usually leads to distraction and delay.

A prime example is FATCA, where the US is rather strong-arming a global change around reporting on the assets of US taxpayers. Initially the IRS set out a draconian vision that would require lots of non-US banks to start collecting taxes on behalf of the US. A number of organisations recognised the scale of what was being asked and started substantial pieces of work and system builds to be ready. Since then new agreements are emerging that can remove that obligation and dates have slipped. I know of companies have written off substantial investments, arguably because they moved too early.

This is not what could be seen as analysis paralysis, but rather informed judgement. Of course hindsight is a perfect judge and sometimes you will get it wrong, but I think the example illustrates the point.

We are now facing similar timing challenges in EMIR and AIFMD. As a result managing stakeholder expectations and having open governance an effective decision making is more critical than ever.

Co-operative Compliance is the attitude of constructively and intelligently working with the changes in the world/regulation and in doing so give your stakeholders confidence that you are safe to do business with. This is not about blind adherence or insane haste to respond to any requirement. Also it does not mean that you can never challenge or interpret. What it does mean is that you don't allow anyone to perceive you like the bolshy toddler who has planted his feet, pouted his lips, crossed his arms and then attempts to stare you out. That is helpful to no-one.

I guess a bit like finding the right time, cooperative compliance is about finding the right response.



These two terms have been very useful as a way of breaking certain deadlocks and are almost always greeted with a nodding of heads and a few wry smiles. So far no one has kncked them back.

To make use of them in your work,

• make this part of your change culture, ensure that you use and explain the phrases often so that people remember them,
• find people with a mental agility and who are equipped to judge what is right for the business, but are brave enough to not follow the herd when that is appropriate
• don't be afraid to change course and bring others along with you if the world around you moves
• find the personal strength to hold on to what you believe is right and proper and let time be your judge, 

Good luck!

Strike 2!

Towards the end of last year I blogged about two "digs" - one I hoped would be successful and the other I hoped would not.

The latter dig was looking for the body of missing toddler Ben Needham in Greece. There were suggestions that he might have strayed and been trapped and buried under building rubble. While I am sure his parents would like closure on this story, I feared that confirmation that the child died after being buried alive might be too much for the family.

Thankfully(?) that dig did not locate a body so the mystery of what happened to Ben remains.

The second "dig" was the planned search for a large number of Spitfire aircraft that were rumoured to buried around airfields in Burma at the end of WWII. To find a number of these planes that were thought likely to be in good condition after being greased and buried would have been fantatstic to anyone who enjoys the throb of thir engine and the silhouette of their wings.

This dig got under way in early January. By late January the news did not seem good and now the serach has been abandoned empty handed. There is now doubt that ANY Spitfires were ever delivered, let alone buried.

I confess that this is something of a let down, but there is a candle still glimmering at the end of the proverbial tunnel. All the publicity around the search in Burma flushed out stories that there are in fact aircraft buried near the factory where the were built in Castle Bromwich.

After the success of finding the body of Richard III, I will keep my fingers crossed that there are planes that can be located and unearthed in this country. So I guess this is "Strike 2" with one play to go.

Some great job titles.

The other day on Linkedin I came across someone with the job title "Joint Venture Partner at Data Centre Services Bhutan". Now I don't know why but I struggled to see what demand there would be for Data Centre Services in Bhutan, a small relatively undeveloped Himalayan kingdom. That said, it is a great title.

I realise that I shouldn't think that way as the world is incredibly deverse and richer for it. What this discovery triggered was a short search for other great job titles that I thought I would share. The list below are all "real", well they are used by members of Linkedin.

• AMBASSADOR- South Florida of USA Pickleball Association
• The Office Furniture Guru 
• Barista Maestro
• Freelance Elephant Spotter
• Digital Jedi
• Squirrel Imaginary

I have no idea what a "squirrel imaginary" is or indeed why we would need a "freelance Elephant spotter", but it is good to know that they are there if you need one.

I liked the "Barista Maestro", but then found it was pretty mainstream and seemed to be a common term, just not one I, as a tea drinker, had heard of. Still, I thought it warranted inclusion.

I have a sense of what a "digitial Jedi" might be and "The Office Furnitire Guru" sounds like one of those great titles given out in a reorganisation, as a way of telling you that your time is up. I think I might be concerned if I were assigned a title like that.

The Ambassador's role caught my imagination and a little Googling showed it to be a serious undertaking. The sport(?) has been going since the 1960's and supports a professional player. I could only see reference to a single professional so I guess tournaments are not that exciting?

Anyway this was a bit of Friday frivolity, but please add any other good(?) job titles you have come across in order that we can all enjoy them.

The words that may not be spoken!

As a husband one learns that sometimes it is better to hold one's tongue. What may be seen as selective hearing by some is often wise judgement. It is harder though when it is your child!

My daughter deeply, madly, passionately wants to be an actress. So far her attempts at getting a place at acting school have been unsuccessful. The odds are pretty extreme with cases of over 1,000 applicants for every place! She has had a call back, but even that place evaporated.

So it was that last night I found myself with watering eyes as my pride in her became emotional. It was the last night of her school production in which she had the lead female role of Sarah. It was an ambitious staging of "Our House", the musical written by Madness that has graced the West End. At the end of the first half I thought I felt a little emotional, but at the end of the finale I definitely did. Not streaming tears or anything like that, but a lump in my throat, an ache in my heart and a moistness in my eyes.

In the run up to the show she had told us virtually nothing about what she was doing or how it was going. We knew she had to sing solo a couple of times (we didn't know she had a voice!) and that she had some costume changes including a wedding dress, but that was all. We had just been the taxi service and hotel for her during the rehearsal period - she had been at school for 24 straight days before last night.

Yes, there were some technical faults and the odd bum note, but overall they all performed brilliantly. She sang NW5, a more recent Madness song rendered more like a ballad and was part of a clever duet of Labi Siffre's "It must be love". Recording anything of the show was difficult with copyright issues, but I did manage to snatch some of her singing using my mobile phone. What Dad wouldn't?

She was mortified to think that I had a recording and is adamant that I must destroy all trace, but you know how hard it is to delete very electronic record these days :) !

We are not allowed to tell her how well she did. In the hall the "diva" came out and we were all allowed to kiss her cheek - even me, but once outside any attempt to express pride or appreciation is met with a grumpy response and admonishment to "shut up". This is the usual state of affairs that I deeply hope is just "those difficult teenage years".

She glowed while on stage and I think her voice could be very good with some training. It is easy to see why she wishes to pursue it as a career which is what makes it hard when you are only allowed to whsiper about it when she is out of hearing. I guess as a parent one should always feel proud about your kids and maybe I just have to be satisfied holding that feeling inside, but I will confess that it is hard not to be allowed to shout it from the rooftops even if only metaphorically.

So now she has the run into A-Levels and then.......the rest of her life!

"A proud parent"

My Top Five Regrets..........

I saw today a link to an article in the Guardian (not my usual read!) entitled Top five regrets of the dying which I found an interesting read.

I won't repeat the article here, but the five identified by a nurse who had cared for dying patients were

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Without wanting to give too much away, while I think I have addressed/embraced a couple of these, there are still a couple I can empathise with.

What made me think though were what might be the top five regrets of a project manager.

I have wracked my fading memory of 30 years of change and feel lucky that I don't feel many regrets. Yes I have made some mistakes, but I have learnt something from every one.

At times I have opened my mouth and expressed heartfelt opinions that may have cost me opportunities, but I don't regret doing so. In each case, time has shown that my thoughts were valid and the each experience has given me the opportunity to improve my communication skills. Similarly for each door that closed another, better one opened.

If I have a regret it is that I did not network better in my early and mid career. It is something I have come to late in life, through necessity and I wonder if I might have found an even brighter path had I worked harder at it earlier. But then I was in permanent employment and networking did not seem as necessary.

Also I think I might have sought out a personal sponsor earlier. Someone who could have helped me transition between roles and navigate the world of corporate politics better than maybe I did.

I have made decisions that put my family considerations over my professional ones, and in doing so probably missed some opportunities. In no way do those count as regrets - family comes first - full stop.

Lastly at times I stayed longer in roles that maybe hindsight would suggest was best, but again I look back and feel I made the best decisions I could at the time, and believe I would make the same ones again if I were in the same position - so how can one regret these?

I have never been a clone or easily pigeonholed. I am just good at what I do and the more I do what I enjoy the better I get....funny that. This may all sound very smug. I certainly don't intend it to be. I would be interested in hearing the experience of others though I recognise that it is easier to do so anonymously.