1. Why Do I Need
to Understand
Business?
Richard Veryard, in association with Unicom

2. Why don’t organizations do what they say?
Clockwork Snakepit
 Everyone knows what the organization  Everything is always falling apart. Your
is all about, and is concerned solely first concern is to make sure it doesn’t fall
with carrying out its mission on you.
 People are basically happy in their work  Nobody really knows what is going on.
 Level of anxiety is low But everyone wants to know, because there
 People interact and cooperate without is danger in not knowing.
friction. Mutual support.  Anxiety and stress are constant
 Management problems are easily solved companions.
with proper skills and correct  People deal with one another with little
techniques. pleasure and considerable suspicion.
 Management problems are intractable.
Source: Howard Schwartz, Managers feel they’ve done well if they can
Narcissistic Process and make it through the day.
Organization Decay

3. Practical Relevance
For planning, designing and
implementing IT solutions for
people in organizations … ... you need to know how
people work in organizations
For planning, designing and
implementing IT solutions as ... you need to know how
management support tool … management works in
organizations.
For running IT projects with
people in organizations … ... you need to know how
people work effectively in
teams.

4. Business Awareness Workshop
Making Sense of Organizations How Accounting Works
 Business and Environment, Viable  Financial Results and Ratios, Non-
Business, Leadership Style Financial Measurement – Balanced
How Organizations Work Scorecard, Management Accounting and
Decisions – Forecasting and Budgeting –
 Taylorism and Work Processes, Business
Organization Structure, Technology and
Work, Sociotechnical Systems How Management Thinks
How Organizations Feel
 Decision-Making and Policy, Command
and Control, Organizational Intelligence
 Organizational Behaviour – Group
Dynamics, Bureaucracy and Adhocracy, How Organizations Behave
Culture and Empowerment  Legal and Regulatory Issues, Business
How Organizations Interact Ethics, Corporate Governance, Social
Responsibility
 Business Strategy and the Competitive
Environment, Supply Chain, Service-
Oriented Enterprise, Business-as-a-
Platform

5. Workshop Style
Emphasis on Practical Case Studies Multiple Perspectives
 Making sense of practical  Not just economic and systems
business situations perspective
 Solving practical business  Productivity, efficiency
problems  Return on Investment
 Understanding how IT  But also ethical and social
solutions contribute perspective
 How managers use
 Why doesn’t the economic and
systems approach always work ?
information  What else is going on?

6. Booking and Enquiries
 Next Public Date March 8th Uxbridge
 businessawareness.eventbrite.co.uk
 Or speak to Unicom on 01895 256484

7. Booking and Enquiries
 Next Public Date March 8th Uxbridge
 businessawareness.eventbrite.co.uk
 Or speak to Unicom on 01895 256484