Managing Expectations

ManagingExpectations is a key concern of StrategicAlignmentOfItProductsAndServices, and is therefore a concern of your ChiefArchitect. Done well, the IT area will be less likely to be punished at the next budgetary cycle.

The need to be customer focussed has not filtered well through the ranks, see for example a page like EnterpriseCustomers written in year 2000, short but have enough demonstrated contempt.

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ManagingExpectations - The Biggest challenge...

The 2004 article of the above title at http://www.cio.com/archive/100104/manage.html put things this way

• " ...Actively managing business expectations is crucial to CIO success because it leads to better IT governance, alignment to business strategy and more sophisticated project management."

The above paper later laid out 4 steps to ManagingExpectations, and is definitely worth your time to do the reading:

• Get your house in order
• Shut up and listen
• Educate them
• Get on the Agenda
• Communicate early and often

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Practical advice

ManagingExpectations need to include the GoldOwner, perhaps through the GoalDonor, else the lessons of CthreeProjectTerminated may have to be repeated.

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References

Nov2005 - Four principles of ManagingExpectations at http://www.cio.com/archive/110105/expectations.html?action=print

• Define expectations internally
• Establish rules of engagement
• Deal with doubters
• Not everything is negotiable

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CategoryEnterpriseComputingConcerns