5.2. Communicate Early and Often—Who,What, When, Where, How

Communicating the status of existing, planned, and end-of-life IT services early will reduce the probability that rumors and misinformation will stymie successful IT service execution. IT staff, users, and management all share the same dislike for surprises. Repeating the message periodically will reinforce the message itself and ensure that the entire audience has the opportunity to be exposed to its contents.

5.2.1. Who

All IT staffs should have sufficient familiarity with IT services to be able to describe the services, benefits, and deliverables to anyone inquiring about them. They should be especially well versed in their area of expertise and be prepared to present details on those services on demand. IT management should be schooled in all the IT services and be capable of presenting them in business terminology. As described in a later section, help desk staff and account managers join IT management in bearing the primary responsibility for marketing and communicating IT services.