Intelligent Enterprise

Better Insight for Business Decisions

Intelligent Enterprise - Better Insight for Business Decisions
search Intelligent Enterprise
Advanced Search
RSS
Webcasts
Digital Library
Subscribe
Home



Just a User | Intelligent Enterprise Blog
Neil Raden is the Founder of Hired Brains, a consulting firm specializing in analytics, business Intelligence and decision management. He is also the co-author of the book "Smart (Enough) Systems." Write him at nraden@hiredbrains.com or Twitter @ nraden.
See More by Neil Raden

E-MAIL  |  
Share
Just a User

Posted by Neil Raden
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
1:26 PM

When you sign up for a Webinar, or even just register to download a white paper, you can be sure that you will shortly get a follow-up phone call. The caller almost never has any inkling what you or their client does, so the questions are sometimes amusing, other times pretty dumb. I haven't gotten so old and cranky yet that this ruins my day, but I got a call last week that was notable.

After the brief introduction, the question was, "I want to ask some questions about your database."

"Excuse me," I said, "I'm an analyst."

"A what?"

"An analyst, an industry analyst and consultant," I replied.

Here it comes...

"Oh, you mean you're just a user?"

In point of fact, there are only two industries that refer to their customers as "users," and I don't have to spell out what the other one is. But using the word "just" really changes the whole picture. Would you say someone is "just a nurse" or "just a renter?" I hope not.

This is a long-running problem that isn't unique to IT, but they've perfected it. Referring to people who work with the systems they devise as users is demeaning and also damaging. In some cases, IT attempted to get away from the user tag, and now they simply refer to the "other" as "the business." This is almost tribal. You can find, cross-culturally, that many societies have referred to themselves with some proper noun and everyone else as "other." It shows a marked disinterest in understanding those outside your tribe/circle/department. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in your organization to answer the question, "Who are you?" with "I'm the business."

In fact, isn't IT "the business" too? Aren't IT people "users" of various systems too? The whole thing is silly. So come on, IT, let's learn a little bit about what people in your organization actually do for a living and show them a little respect by identifying them accurately.



E-MAIL  |  
Share




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.


 




    Subscribe to RSS feed of all blogs


 



Techweb
Informationweek Business Technology Network
InformationweekInformationweek 500Informationweek 500 ConferenceInformationweek AnalyticsInformationweek Events
Informationweek MagazineGlobal CIOIWK Government ITbMightyByte and SwitchDark Reading
Digital LibraryIntelligent EnterpriseInternet EvolutionNetwork ComputingPlug Into The CloudDr. DobbsContentinople
space
TechWeb Events Network
InteropVoiceConWeb 2.0 ExpoWeb 2.0 SummitEnterprise 2.0Mobile Business ExpoNoJitter
Black HatGTECEnergy CampCloud ConnectGov 2.0 ExpoGov 2.0 Summit
space
Light Reading Communications Network
Light ReadingLight Reading AsiaUnstrungCable Digital NewsInternet EvolutionPyramid Research
Heavy ReadingLight Reading LiveLight Reading InsiderEthrnet ExpoTelco TVTower Technology Summit
space
Financial Technology Network
Advanced TradingBank Systems and TechnologyInsurance and TechnologyWall Street and TechnologyAccelerating WallstreetBST SummitBuyside Trading SummitIT Summit
space
Microsoft Technology Network
MSDNTechNetTotal IT ProTotal Dev ProNET Total Dev Pro CommunitySQL Total Dev Pro Community
space