e-Skills: Diversity – A key competence

The IT industry needs more people that can bridge the cultural gaps that exist in the business ecosystem.

A technologist that cannot empathise with a user is no good to anyone. A procurement officer that doesn’t understand the issues that vendors face is similarly going to be a net absorber of value.

We need people who can bridge the many gaps that exist between the IT function and its suppliers and buyers. Only then will the ‘demilitarised zone’ that sits between the IT function and the rest of the world fade away.

But this is not just an IT industry problem. Users and vendors need to build their diversity skills too.