Overview Consultants and Technologists Boundary Workshop version #203 copyright 2003 Boone Associates

Overview

Relationship Managers and Technologists
Boundary Workshop

version #106

One of the toughest things about establishing an IT relationship management function is building effective working relationships with peers. Too often, development managers undermine relationship managers because they see them as a threat to their territories.[1] This workshop facilitates a dialog between

relationship managers and development managers to clearly define their boundary -- where relationship managers stop and developers begin.

Boone Associates’ two day workshop is designed to enhance a working partnership between relationship managers and their peers by:

· Providing an overview of the needs assessment process

· Clarifying with both groups the distinction between functional requirements and functional specifications

· Encouraging candid discussions between groups so that negotiations are fact-based rather than political or personal.

· Helping the groups agree upon a customized, clear document outlining what a functional requirements write-up should include. This write-up contains the output of the relationship managers work which is the input to the development process.

Agenda

Day 1 (Morning): Relationship Managers Briefing and Initial Discussions

The morning of the first day is devoted to creating a detailed description of functional requirements by the Relationship Managers. All of the work generated will be captured and used for discussions with technologists on Day 2 of the workshop. If the Relationship Managers have not yet attended a needs assessment workshop, information regarding the strategic needs assessment method will be provided to them as context for this task.

Day 1 (Afternoon): Technologists Briefing and Initial Discussions

Technologists will be briefed on the process of needs assessment, including viewing a 20 minute videotaped mock interview. They will then generate their own description of what they perceive to be the important elements of a functional requirements document. This information will be captured for use on Day 2.

Consultant and Technologist Concurrence on Functional Requirements Document

This highly interactive Day 2 facilitates agreement between the Relationship Managers and technologists on a clear definition of functional requirements.

The end result of the process is a working document outlining the questions that need to be answered in order to provide top-quality functional requirements to technologists. This definition of the output of Relationship Managers’ needs assessment process, and input to the development process, defines in precise language the boundary between the two groups.

An amalgamation of the previous day's work by each group serves as the foundation for these lively discussions between the Relationship Managers and the technologists. Examining the difference in their views, the two groups work toward creating a document that meets the needs of both functions.

Attention is also given to the issues and concerns regarding the working relationship between the two groups, leading to a list of action items to further improve their collaboration.

[1] Boundary discussions are based on clear principles of structure pioneered in Dean Meyer’s "Structural Cybernetics" (r). The relationship management function is further explained here.)