In a recent issue of CIO Magazine (September 15, 2011), the cover story was dedicated to the subject of “Rogue IT”, and featured a side bar titled “Taming the Rogue Element”. In that side bar, several CIOs were quoted as follows:
“the customer is not aware of what the business owns . . .”
“they don’t give IT a chance . . .”
“they’re not following a strategic plan . . .”
“they don’t communicate their needs . . .”
“users don’t know what they want . . .”
“they do not know where to start . . .”
Anything else? How about: they’re lazy, they’re stupid, and, oh yes, they’re ugly too!
Although I can hardly believe that these statements reveal prevailing attitudes among today’s CIOs, I do wonder how these attitudes make their way to the top, and how they are perpetuated.
One might guess that such prejudices are bred in IT schools, the way some believe medical schools teach arrogance, or seminaries teach pomposity. But this would amount to little more than counter-productive counter-prejudice. And, having attended IT school myself, I know that not to be the case.
Perhaps it’s part of an indoctrination process. Do aspiring CIOs have to memorize the misonothist mantra in order to be accepted into the club? If so, then I would expect media savvy executives at least to mask their disdain for their customers, especially when they’re about to be quoted in a trade publication. Clearly, these Cs were not among the savvy.
Then again, perhaps it’s this kind of article that spreads the corporate groupspeak. If so, then maybe it’s time for IT journalists to realize that they need not print every word their subjects utter. That, or start interviewing a more enlightened class of CIO.
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