Mistake: assign everything technology-related to IT

It can be tempting to give responsibility for any initiative involving technology to the IT department. For example, this often happens with websites and social media initiatives. However, these are communications technologies. The purpose is communication, but the method is technology.

When the IT department is running an initiative, the purpose can become secondary to the method. Many organizations wait a very long time for IT to get around to updating the website. This is because IT is preoccupied with their other responsibilities.

Best Practices

Assign responsibility (and the corresponding budget) for such initiatives to business managers, with the understanding that these are really business initiatives that happen to be supported by technology. This will ensure that the initiatives are aligned to support the organization’s business goals. Giving the business manager budget authority helps to get the initiative the required resources. Making it a business line item will also make the cost-benefit analysis clearer.