The problem with technologists is that many confuse the medium with the message. They confuse communications with communication. The problem? There's a very big difference. Before you standardize someone's desktop or even think about messing with their control panels or preferences, you may want to know a few tips that may make the difference between making users scream and making users love you (or at least not making them scream).

1. Different people have different perceptions
The first thing to understand - and this is key - is that different people perceive and use technology in different ways. I know, it's tedious, but it's true. I have friends who make their living making networks or software programs or computers that work; without exception, they're passionate about all the ways technology can help us do things better or easier or more enjoyably. Most of them don't have a lot of patience for people who don't "get it" or who need help figuring out why they should bother trying.

I also have friends and colleagues who'd rather have dye injected into their eyeballs than figure out why their computer's freezing up; they couldn't care less about what happens inside their computer when they hit the "on" button. They just want their technology to work so they can get on with theirs. This stuff's deep-rooted, emblazoned somewhere deep within the psyche.

As an IT person, if you accept the fact that a non-techie might need different information than you would during, say, a desktop standardization process or software update, you've taken an important step toward decreasing user backlash.

2. The question of ownership
A second point to remember is this: It doesn't matter who owns the equipment Joe or Jane User uses; Joe and Jane consider it their very own. They adopt it, adapt it to their needs, place pictures of family around it, do their work on it and interact with it in a very personal way every day they're at work. It's part of their personal work space, and you don't mess with someone's space without their permission.

You can hate this fact, think it's stupid and complain incessantly about it, but you can't change it. Get used to it, respect it, plan for it and your life becomes much easier, because the number of user complaints will drop if you demonstrate respect for someone's work space and needs.

3. Communicate well before it's too late
Once you've accepted suggestions #1 and #2, you can identify what information Joe and Jane User will need. Plan to share that information with them well before you start stripping software, disconnecting cables, disrupting connections and installing new stuff. How do you know what information they need? You don't, but they'll gladly tell you if you ask them. In comparison to the pain of complaints after the fact, interviewing select groups of users as you plan your project is downright easy. And they'll probably be stunned that you respected them enough to ask.

After you've asked people what information they'll need, ask them how they'd prefer to receive it. One thing to keep in mind: People process information and learn in different ways, and not everyone has access to certain information repositories, such as the intranet. Provide information in a variety of ways: print, intranet, one-on-one discussions, training sessions or well-planned meetings.

Help your audience - users and the people who authorize the expenditures - understand how they can use the technology to do their work better, faster and easier. Provide information about why your job is complex - multiple platforms, conflicting software, endless upgrades, limited bandwidth - and explain what needs to happen, why and when. Ensure that adequate training is available, in whatever form. You may not think it's your responsibility, but if it doesn't happen and user error mucks things up and ticks people off, who gets the call?

If you don't have the time to manage communication yourself, tap your inhouse communication team or hire a communication consultant. The price will be a small fraction of your budget, and will seem a bargain compared to the cost of schedule delays, productivity dips, customer service gaps, missed sales, angry executives and other common annoyances resulting from, in many cases, ignored communication and justifiable user backlash. The price of communicating well is negligible; the price of not communicating or communicating poorly can - and has - cost companies millions.

For most users, technology is more likely a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. You may think of these folks as the enemy, but to an objective observer who has a foot in both worlds, you form the ideal (if uncomfortable) partnership: Users need technology to do their work; you can make sure the technology is accessible and up to the task, and people have the information they need to use it correctly.

This information is provided as food-for-thought, not customized counsel. The most effective leadership, interpersonal and communication plans are those that have been tailored to meet your unique needs and those of your oganization, so consult a qualified adviser.

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What are your ideas, challenges and concerns about gaining support and raising awareness for Information Technology projects? E-mail us at info@ivysea.com.