It is a curious phenomenon whereby managers tirelessly profess to know virtually nothing about computers on the one hand, while insisting on personally making all important decisions regarding their company's computer infrastructure on the other.
It seems that every business school graduate sporting an MBA possesses this puzzling and somewhat paradoxical trait, which has proven to be a source of both great frustration and immense profit for me over the years. I think it has something to do with wanting to be "in the know" on where the money is going. With their guidance, it usually goes down the toilet.
This schizophrenic relationship with computers practiced by a shockingly high percentage of formally trained managers the world over tends to be an extraordinarily expensive indulgence. I know of no one in business who has not witnessed at least one major strategic disaster related to computers in their business, and most have witnessed several. These kinds of errors do not occur when experienced and competent computerists are calling the shots.
It usually takes a great deal of patient counseling to persuade insecure managers to Do the Right Thing and thereby save hundreds of thousands of dollars otherwise wasted on IT boo-boos.
But if you're good at it, you can make a killing.
Patience is difficult when you are spending a lot of time on the frustration end of the scale. Combatting the pernicious influence of the latest management fads has never been more difficult. Also the warm body outfits are pushing the section 1706 myths again. Especially the Indian ones with the visa drones.
Of course I know it's futile to rage against the cluelessness of management. I dream of finding a customer who really wants the right thing, gets it from me, and wins big with it...every great once in a while it's not a dream, excepting the part where you ask what would be good for the business and they give you a clueful answer the first time....