Henk Dijkstra
Enterprise Architect
Henk is experienced at delivering capability uplifts and operating model transformations, with a specific focus on how Technology, Data and Digital enable such capability uplifts. He gained his experience as a senior leader in both Delivery and Operational roles, in leadership roles to the level of CTO. He has served as a Board Member and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. These roles enable him to take a holistic and strategic view of client challenges.
In this Cutter Conversation with Cutter Consultant and Enterprise Architect Henk Dijkstra, we discuss his unique perspective on the importance of communication with IT and investment teams, given his background in both roles.
Q. In your experience, how do IT professionals’ communication styles, etc. differ from those of executives and other investment professionals.
A. For technology teams that support investment management functions at asset owners and asset managers, it’s useful to recognize that technology subject matter experts belong to different groups, with each requiring different engagement styles. Within IT, you have the infrastructure, application, data, DevOps, and service desk groups. While more pronounced, this is similar to what I describe as the “tribal differences” between the front-, middle- and back-office groups on the investments side. Each technology group’s role is changing in different ways, so the most fundamental mistake is to think that all of IT is changing in the same way. This perspective does not adequately differentiate between types of IT SMEs.
We can divide the IT community into these groups in perhaps the same way that front-office people are different from those in the middle office. The same happens in an IT department. Many front-to-back-office people have not worked in technology and do not have exposure to the full range of IT people. And, of course, the same is true for IT people. The divide within some firms can be quite significant.
Q. How can firms foster productive communication between IT and the rest of the business?
A. It’s helpful for a firm’s IT department to have business analysts and internal client relationship managers who liaise with and help conduct the business relationship with the investment team. They make it their business to better understand the investment business. They serve the role of making it easier for the investment team to engage with IT and conduct relationships with the business team.
Q. What are some simple communication strategies to cultivate a collaborative relationship?
A. Attitude and respect are important. People who don’t respect ─ never mind trust ─ each other’s partnership and functions will not establish a collaborative working relationship. Attitude and respect are very hard to foster, but I think it’s fundamental to forming a true partnership. If there’s an absence of respect, then productive communication will not take place. Not to sound overly focused on soft skills, but once there is respect, then trust can follow and the real problems can be addressed.
Q. How can IT teams balance daily support tasks (i.e., “putting out fires”) with their longer-term initiatives?
A. The strategy starts with what’s being managed. Let’s call it the “digital technology ecosystem.” At its core, technology is an engineering discipline. But, as with planes, automobiles, online shopping platforms, and other technology, it’s not about the engineering ─ it’s about how the technology delivers value to people. And people on the investment side of the business simply care about consuming information on their screens and in their reports. Therefore, the technology must be built so that it’s robust, resilient, and serviceable ─ and that means simplified. In many cases, exceptions and special cases based on demands from the investment side of the business can sometimes negatively impact this robustness, resiliency, and serviceability. Therefore, as I mentioned earlier, this is why it’s important to foster strong communication and trust on both sides to meaningfully explore what realistically can and cannot be done.
Q. What’s some advice for getting the IT department's objectives clearly aligned with the overall goals and priorities of the business?
A. If I were chief investment officer, I would educate my internal technology parters about the investment lifecycle in the form of mini-curriculums, lunch and learn sessions, and other informal settings. A lot of IT folks don’t understand how investments work. It’s important to break down the investment process and educate IT department members. Sometimes, informal settings over a sandwich work best, which is a very different setting than a formal meeting in a boardroom. And I would say that the IT team also needs to do the same for the investment side. This approach lays down a solid foundation for productive communication. It’s important for both sides of the business to build a relationship that essentially says, “We want to understand your world and you want to understand our world. And, therefore, we both want to solve the problems in each other’s world.”
For more on this topic, download Cutter’s research report, The Changing Role of IT.