"Could I have a translator for what this IT guy said?"

If you're not an Information Technology (IT) professional, you probably have to work with one. A common complaint about communication across organizational boundaries is the use of jargon, and the IT people I interact with are often guilty of this communications sin.

According to the results of a survey conducted by IT recruitment consultancy Computer People, 75 percent of respondents admitted that they waste over an hour a week finding out what something means so they can complete their work.

For the record, that seems like an exaggeration to me (but then again, I grew up as an IT guy). Regardless we can all use a reminder to be careful with the jargon that we inadvertently insert into our written and spoken communications.

Potential actions
Consider re-reading your e-mails today before hitting the Send button. Double-check that presentation you're sending to your project sponsor. Do they really understand the metrics?

An extra minute of review now can save much more time later in confusion or poor decisions.

For advice on how to use e-mail more effectively, check out my e-book How to Organize Your Inbox & Get Rid of E-Mail Clutter.

Labels: communication, e-mail, managing stakeholders, project sponsors

posted by Andy at 10:28 AM

Comments

"For the record, that seems like an exaggeration to me (but then again, I grew up as an IT guy)."

Really? You're sure that with ALL the technology, language barriers, and expertise going around, you don't waste just an hour a week in overcoming a lack of understanding in some form or another?

I think you might me overestimating your knowledge. Or you aren't working on enough projects.

I like how you re-frame the issue, Kenn. I'm taking the "waste over an hour a week" as a jargon-specific driver of lost time. Put "lack of understanding in one form or another" into the equation and you're right: that eats up a fair amount of time. We could debate how much of that is waste as oppposed to part of the job, I suppose. Regardless, this survey was a good reminder for me to be careful about what I include in my communication.