Avoiding jargon when IT support communicates with management

A common sight on official and corporate communications nowadays is the Crystal Mark of the Plain English campaign. It shows that the organisation is committed to making their communications clear and understandable to those not necessarily 'in the know'.

However, you won't find many IT support firms in Bristol or beyond using the Crystal Mark, which is no surprise when you consider we're operating in one of the most jargon-laden industries in the world.

It prompts us to ask: is it possible for the IT industry to step forward into readily understandable business English?

IT Support isn't just about the technicalities…

It's also about communication-with users, and with management.

A crucial success indicator for companies is how well they manage the flow of information from directors to employees and vice versa. In particular, the flow of information from those with technical oversight and computing expertise to those with strategic responsibility is a vital part of this success.

This isn't just the case in industries that are traditionally IT-led. Nearly every business will gain a competitive advantage when it knows how to implement IT systems correctly and ensure staff are using systems' capabilities in line with business goals.

Businesses, therefore, stand to lose out when their outsourced IT services companies erect barriers of confusing IT jargon.

One motive behind this practice could be straightforward laziness: it's easier to use the terms you are familiar with than to think about the non-expert's point of view. Another could be lack of empathy: some IT professionals study technical matters in such depth over many years that they fail to develop an understanding of other points of view.

But perhaps a more sinister motive is for any technical consultant to try and protect his or her perception of expertise by keeping the conversation on a path that's deliberately beyond most people's familiarity with their subject. In the IT support sector, some service providers seem to delight in tying clients up in knots with their speech.

Is it impossible to communicate IT support without resorting to jargon?

Chorus IT has always attempted to avoid this trap. Sure, IT support can be an extremely detailed technical subject. But what most decision-makers need to know can be tailored to their own level of expertise.

As businesspeople ourselves, we understand that technical performance translates to metrics that matter in the boardroom. And since most directors and middle management are from a non-technical background, our clients appreciate that this information comes to them readily translated into plain English.

Judging by the appreciative feedback we have earned in this area, you suspect some IT support firms might as well be speaking plain Norwegian!

Get a plain-English IT support quote by calling our Sales team on 01275 398900.