Within all levels of an organization, teamwork is critical in getting the job done. When co-workers have effective working relationships with one another, productivity increases, and profits rise. Although team-building is easier done within one particular team, it is just as important to foster relationships between different teams of an organization.
Oftentimes, the Security department is seen as an outside group, isolated from the rest of the organization. This may be because people are unsure of what exactly the Security group does. Perhaps another reason is that when approached with questions from the business side of the organization, the Security group most often answers “no.”
Bound by network and security rules and processes, and oftentimes limited by resources, the Security department may appear unwilling or inflexible. Communication can quickly sour as each group, entrenched in its own agenda, grows resentful with the other group for not viewing the task at hand with the same level of importance. It doesn’t take too long for an “us against them” attitude to develop, further isolating one group from another. Undoubtedly, productivity stalls.
Instead of improving the work environment so people can work together to get the job done, many companies choose to simply rely on technology to accomplish goals. Although the latest technology can certainly help accomplish goals, technology alone cannot get the job done. Relationships among team members and across different teams are critical to the success of the company.
Ultimately, the organization with the best technology is not the company that prevails, but the company that succeeds is the one with the most effective working environment. When Security understands the business perspective and management views priorities within an Security context, then both teams can work together seamlessly. Only when teams support each other with the common mindset of accomplishing the company’s goals rather than their individual ones, then productivity will surely increase.
“If you think technology can solve your security problems, then you don’t understand the problems and you don’t understand the technology.” — Bruce Schneier
