3 Reasons why I stopped using the term “Shadow IT”

According to Cisco: “Shadow IT is the use of IT-related hardware or software by a department or individual without the knowledge of the IT or security group within the organization.”

We’ve all seen it. It used to be the old tower computer that IT was about to throw out. Someone swiped it from outside the server closet where it was destined for the pasture, threw some more memory in it, and plugged it in under a desk. It was out of warranty, an OS Version behind, and patches galore in debt. With the best of idealism and intentions, someone’s trying to build something cool, something different, maybe even something to sell and generate revenue in new ways.

Those days of the tower are fewer and further between, but the phenomenon remains. That tower under the desk has been replaced with a cloud subscription on personal credit card, or even worse, an evaluation with credits and a click through agreement that no one ended up reading. Someone still wants to build something cool. They either went to IT and couldn’t get what they needed or even more tragically assumed they’d get a no.

You might refer to this person or group of actors as ‘Shadow IT’. I’m not here to tell you that any of the above is good. It’s a sad affair when folks are too swamped, or the well-meaning technologist just can’t state their needs or think big enough to garner the support of the Enterprise. However, I’m here to tell you that I stopped using this term Shadow IT, and here’s why…

1.?????Use inclusive language to build trust

Let’s get this one out of the way. If you’re describing someone in a professional setting, inclusive language can go a long way to building trust. The quicker you can build trust, the more you can accelerate operations. Four-Star General James Mad Dog Mattis said it best in his book Call Sign Chaos:

“Operations Happen at the Speed of Trust”.

If your default setting of describing an application of technology or team as ‘Shadow’, you’ve lost the battle before you’ve already begun.

Inclusive language can go a super long way to building trust and ensuring quality for technology deployed. Hear me out: Instead of saying “The business deployed an application that needs better support”, you could say “Our business deployed an application that needs proper support”. Switching just one word will land in a completely new and positive way.

2.?????Business Technologists are on the rise

Recent research from Gartner has found that 41% of employees at firms surveyed are Business Technologists, creating technology or analytics capabilities for internal or external business use and reporting outside of IT departments.

Here’s another quote from this article

“Seventy-four percent of technology purchases are funded, at least partially, by business units (BUs) outside of IT, according to a recent Gartner, Inc. survey. Only 26% of technology investments are funded entirely by the IT organization.”

Furthermore, digital business investments are moving into business functions versus corporate functions. The future is looking more decentralized regarding the deployment of digital solutions. If IT departments aren’t prepared to embrace this reality and view this as ‘Shadow’, their companies won’t be able to compete.

This means that the primary role of IT must shift from one of technology owner, to one of enabler. The roles of enablement will mean doubling down on investments in Open Source Management, Idea Incubation, Cyber Security, Vendor management, DevOps, FinOps, Enterprise Architecture, Delivery Platforms, Compliance, Cloud Governance, and Developer Advocacy.?Sugar coat those roles with inclusive activities and trust, and you've got game winning capability and culture.

3.?????Accountability is a two-way street

Success in IT will see Business Technology as a shared responsibility and their own accountability in the picture. Without on-ramps to accommodate and enable, you’ll see lower quality of deployments of technology. People will avoid IT, and find a solution, and build it (oftentimes to their own detriment) if there’s no one there to service them—this creates a negative feedback loop of avoidance and deployed technology that’s completely off the reservation. Investments must be made in good people in the right roles. Simply showing up sometimes just isn’t enough.

In closing

This phenomenon does still exist, but the terminology is changing to embrace 'Business Technologist' (rather than 'Shadow IT') given the growth of decentralized digital capital investment, access to skill sets, and the imperatives of rapid delivery that require interdepartmental trust to obtain a competitive edge. What side of history do you want to be on?