Mastering Communication and Collaboration: A comprehensive guide to teamwork and leadership for IT professionals

By Angus McIlwraith

 As organisations shift towards a digital-first approach, the need for individuals with strong business acumen, interpersonal skills, and leadership capabilities has never been greater. This book aims to equip IT professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to collaborate and communicate effectively in today's fast-paced digital landscape.

Mastering Communication and Collaboration aims to find common ground between technical, and non-technical individuals to improve communication in all areas of the business.

Packed with actionable strategies and easy-to-read tools, tips and techniques, this book will help you improve your skills and become a more effective communicator and collaborator. Whether you're an aspiring leader or an experienced professional, this book is a must-have in your library.

• Offers practical tools and techniques for better teamwork and communication.
• Shares ideas from various sources to help you handle and understand complex scenarios.
• Provides practical strategies and easy-to-follow tips.
• A clear and accessible read, for everyone from business analysts and enterprise architects, to project managers and technical specialists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
• Release date: Nov 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781780176062

Book preview

This beautifully written book will be invaluable to any technology specialist wishing to develop the soft skills that are so important to make a difference in the modern workplace. Easy to read with warmth and wisdom, and illustrated with practical examples, I highly recommend it.

Simon Marvell, Founder and Director, Acuity Risk Management Limited

IT permeates every facet of modern life. Yet often, even with the best intentions, the rationale for technical decisions is not always explained in a way that is of value to users. This book is a practical ‘how to’ guide for every technologist where they can learn to understand their audience and apply certain methodologies to constructively develop these key skills. It brings together a range of real world examples, research and tools for effective communication. Highly recommended.

Amanda Annandale, Business Architect, KPMG LLP

It’s great to see another practical resource covering the soft skills needed to be successful in information technology. This isn’t a textbook, it’s peppered with anecdotes and advice borne from real world experience. The book covers a range of practical tools, tips and techniques across a number of key areas such as knowing your audience, storytelling and how to collaborate allowing you to build trust with the teams around you and become an effective part of the wider team.

Alex Woodward CITP, VP UK Cyber, CGI

Mastering Communication and Collaboration is a refreshingly bold and captivating read. I found the exploration of storytelling’s influence on teamwork and simplifying intricate workplace matters particularly intriguing. This book truly spotlights the undervalued skill of using narratives to forge connections, making it a standout aspect of its content.

Ian Murphy, Founder, CyberOff

An enjoyable read, which articulates the points of communication and collaboration really well with good everyday working examples. I would recommend this book for all levels of experience and this topic is very key in this new age of hybrid working.

Ranjit Attalia, Senior Business Analysis, Financial Conduct Authority

Mastering Communication and Collaboration is a thought-provoking publication that applies insight to those wishing to review and improve their communication skills to collaborate effectively. Whilst the content is relevant to all modes of working, the ideas are particularly timely given the rise in home working and the need to use tools to communicate remotely.

John Burns LL.M, CEng, MBCS, Information Security Risk Analyst

This book is the ultimate guide for IT professionals seeking to excel in teamwork and leadership. With insightful chapters on communication, data presentation, emotional intelligence, and more, this book is a game-changer for those aiming to thrive in the tech world. Its comprehensive approach equips readers with the essential skills needed to navigate the complex and dynamic IT landscape with finesse.

Rishikesh Yardi, Product Leader

BCS, THE CHARTERED INSTITUTE FOR IT

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, is committed to making IT good for society. We use the power of our network to bring about positive, tangible change. We champion the global IT profession and the interests of individuals, engaged in that profession, for the benefit of all.

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Further information

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© BCS Learning and Development Ltd 2023

The right of Angus McIlwraith to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, except with the prior permission in writing of the publisher, or in the case of reprographic reproduction, in accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries for permission to reproduce material outside those terms should be directed to the publisher.

All trade marks, registered names etc. acknowledged in this publication are the property of their respective owners. BCS and the BCS logo are the registered trade marks of the British Computer Society charity number 292786 (BCS).

Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, 3 Newbridge Square, Swindon, SN1 1BY, UK.

www.bcs.org

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-78017-6048

PDF ISBN: 978-1-78017-6055

ePUB ISBN: 978-1-78017-6062

British Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available at the British Library.

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this book are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or BCS Learning and Development Ltd except where explicitly stated as such. Although every care has been taken by the authors and BCS Learning and Development Ltd in the preparation of the publication, no warranty is given by the authors or BCS Learning and Development Ltd as publisher as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained within it and neither the authors nor BCS Learning and Development Ltd shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising by virtue of such information or any instructions or advice contained within this publication or by any of the aforementioned.

All URLs were correct at the time of publication.

Publisher’s acknowledgements

Reviewers: Katie Walsh and Jill Shepherd

Publisher: Ian Borthwick

Sales director: Charles Rumball

Commissioning editor: Heather Wood

Production manager: Florence Leroy

Project manager: Sunrise Setting Ltd

Copy-editor: Sarah Cook

Proofreader: Barbara Eastman

Indexer: David Gaskell

Cover design: Alex Wright

Cover image: iStock-AscentXmedia

Typeset by Lapiz Digital Services, Chennai, India

CONTENTS

List of figures and tables

Author

Note from the author

Abbreviations

INTRODUCTION

Background

What is an IT business partner?

1. COMMUNICATION – PARADOX, PURPOSE AND INTENTION

The purpose and intention of communication

Conclusion

2. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Who are you talking to?

World views, lenses and schemas

Jargon and mixed audiences

Location and nation

Level and abstraction

Conclusion

3. COMMUNICATION METHODS AND TOOLS

Tools

Screen-based text and precis

The Rule of Three

Examples and analogies

Conclusion

4. STORYTELLING

Ubiquity, cycles and hardwired for children

How can we use stories in the workplace?

How to tell a story

Non-verbal communication

The longevity and power of stories

Conclusion

5. PRESENTING DATA AND INFORMATION

Data and information – what’s the difference?

Detail – how much?

Trusted sources

Data and information visualisation

Conclusion

6. INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Confirmation bias

Communication intention

Communication status

Conclusion

7. FEEDBACK

Feedback models

How to get good feedback

How to give good feedback

Conclusion

8. COLLABORATION

Why collaborate?

What is collaboration?

Collaboration culture

Conclusion

9. COLLABORATION TOOLS

Common collaboration tools and suites

How to choose a collaboration tool

10. ANALYSING YOUR COLLABORATION SKILLS

Introduction

Johari model

Conciseness

Assertiveness

Conclusion

11. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND COLLABORATION

Self-awareness

Self-management

Social awareness

Relationship management

Conclusion

12. PERSONAL BRANDING

Disclosure and intent

How to build your personal brand

Brand characteristics

Conclusion

13. POSITIVE ATTITUDE

The history of positive mental attitude (PMA)

‘Can-do’ and faith

How to develop and maintain a PMA

Distilled positivity

Conclusion

14. NETWORKING

Conclusion

15. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

APPENDIX

Carnegie Foundation – A Study of Engineering Education

United States. Office of Strategic Services. Simple Sabotage Field Manual

Bibliography

Index

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 5.1 Dr John Snow’s cholera map

Figure 7.1 Deming cycle – plan, do, study, act

Figure 10.1 Johari Window Model

Figure 15.1 Word cloud

Figure A.1 Charles Riborg Mann’s A Study of Engineering Education

Table I.1 Risk perception

AUTHOR

Angus McIlwraith has worked in information security since 1984 primarily as a consultant. Something he regularly encounters is the need to develop, implement and maintain good communication and collaboration skills. It’s easy to forget that sometimes you must explain yourself to people who don’t have your background, skills or training. Angus has produced multi-media material providing culture change, awareness improvement and resilience testing, and written for many professional magazines, provided business guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on UK government websites, developed and assessed training courses under the GCHQ Certified Training (GCT) scheme, and delivered material for BCS professional and apprenticeship qualifications.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

My professional experience has been primarily in the field of information security. This is a broad church and encompasses many facets – IT being not the least of them. I have argued for many years that one of the key failings of the information security profession has been a failure to understand its true purpose and to communicate this effectively with non-specialists. The introduction to a book I published in 20061 contained the following passage:

The manner in which information security has been presented by the media has been, and remains, poor – perhaps understandably so in that journalists are by nature generalists and have to relate complex issues rapidly and succinctly. Some of the blame for this misrepresentation has to lie squarely within the information security profession itself.

I held the heart-felt belief that this state of affairs would change, but I am constantly reminded that there is an area of professional life that we all (information security people, IT specialists, enterprise architects and all the rest of us) need to address. We all need to ensure we communicate clearly and effectively, and from this, the benefits of fruitful collaboration can flow.

What used to be ‘data security’ became ‘computer security’ and evolved into ‘information security’. The change in emphasis from ‘information security’ to ‘cyber security’ in recent years has perhaps put the clock back somewhat. It seems there is a regression away from a business-oriented approach to a technical mindset that is introspective and insular. I recently had a notification in the timeline of my LinkedIn profile that had a questionnaire that asked the following:

What is the primary goal of cybersecurity?

Protecting computer hardware

Securing network connections

Preventing unauthorized access

Encrypting data

I was unable to respond meaningfully because none of the options were, in my opinion, primary. They are all facets of higher-level goals, which could be:

‘to ensure the resilience of an organisation’s processes’; or

‘to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information an organisation handles’.

We could achieve either of the above by (amongst many other things) protecting computer hardware, securing network connections, preventing unauthorised access and encrypting data. Cyber security too often operates ‘in the weeds’. We need to get our heads up and see the bigger picture and make sure we understand what the weeds are up to. Many parts of this book deal with self-perception. If we information professionals cannot engage those areas of thinking that allow us to see ourselves as others see us, we will be less effective in all aspects of our work. A narrow focus on specific skill sets and a narrow understanding of the needs of others is not a good mix. There are schools of thought and multiple sources of knowledge and wisdom that we ignore at our peril.

In this book I make reference to a wide range of sources. Some are academic, others are political or managerial. I also use a lot of ancient sources. This is not to demonstrate the depth and breadth of my education and knowledge,2 but to make a simple point. The point is that in almost all circumstances, there is nothing new under the sun. The Greeks had a word for most things. Ancient cultures still have the ability to teach, inspire and admonish us in equal measure.

This book is aimed primarily at IT professionals, but I’m confident people who work in other specialisms will recognise some of the tenets and examples used and can make use of what I hope is useful learning. Specialists only become truly effective when they recognise and can empathise with the needs of others. That’s what this book is really about – helping people become and remain effective.

1McIlwraith, A. (2006) Information Security and Employee Behaviour: How to Reduce Risk Through Employee Education, Training and Awareness . Aldershot, UK: Gower.

2I actually have a GCE O Level in Ancient Greek – my