Comments on: Why I Prefer to Work with Darkworkers than ‘Greyworkers’

By: simonstapleton

simonstapleton — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:20:45 +0000

@Terence: Thanks for you comment (if anyone hasn’t seen the article on the BCS website, it is at http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.20197) Terence I think your view on this is exactly right. IT professionals have struggled to become part of the business. There are many theories why, and many are compatible, but my 30-seconds worth is that the language of IT has for most of its history been very esoteric and inaccessible for business people, particulaly as it has been a ‘craft’ for so long. The problem is that IT people have been tarnished with the same brush. The industrialization of IT is also enabling levels of abstraction that business people *can* engage with. The lessons learned I think is that technology and business don’t mix when there is a lack of a common language.

By: Terence B Smith

Terence B Smith — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:38:52 +0000

Re The end of IT as we know it

I wonder if you look back at the recent history of IT you will agree that the old term System Analyst should have had the remit to achieve the strategic linking of IT with the Business process and the design of Enterprise systems to suit?
The fact that we failed in the past was, as now, as you suggest much to do with the availability of local processing power hardware and software (The PC and mobile phones etc) But in my view and more importantly The computer professionals not being part of the real business they are in but a thing apart, remote and often talking in technical terms so removed from the real issues of the day we were ignored. I wonder if the new breed have learnt from the past or are they going along the same path? Changing their titles will not solve the problem
Regards Terence Smith BA C.Eng. FBCS etc etc……

By: simonstapleton

simonstapleton — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:17:57 +0000

@Paul: Thanks for your comment Paul. Do a search on Google for Greyworker and there are a handful of hits, but Dark/Lightworker brings back loads… probably because the majority of people on the earth are greyworkers and don’t like considering themselves as such.
The point you make well is that by commiting oneself to a path brings a clarity that brings happiness, fulfillment and motivation. In business, these traits are what managers want in their people!

By: Paul Piotrowski

Paul Piotrowski — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:07:37 +0000

Great article. I too have found the same thing unfolding in my life. People who have “picked a direction” are easy to work with. Darkworker and Lightworker alike actually. You just have to put on a different hat when dealing with them and appeal to a different part of their desires.

“Greyworkers” as you call them are a mess. One minute they want to help the world, the next minute they’re scared about their security. You can’t motivate them with money/power like a Darkworker, yet they still want that stuff in smaller quantities. You can’t motivate them with the concept of “giving” like Lightworkers, yet they still want to contribute.

I think “Greyworkers” are more difficult to work with as well because they tend to gravitate towards the lower levels of consciousness. One minute they’re at a charity drive event raising money for cancer research and the next evening they’re gambling at a casino.

Good stuff, I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed this trend.