FAQ 3.03 Why are the managers in charge rather than the developers who understand technology?

Because most organizations have a culture that assumes that managers are long-term and developers are replaceable parts.

Managers are supposed to understand the goals of the organization and to ensure that the goals are achieved, often using technology in one form or another. Their job is to represent the organization, and in many cases they have a fiduciary responsibility (and personal liability) if things go wrong. In their view, developers are transient and are often more interested in technology than the welfare of the organization. This may or may not be true, and the average tenure of CIOs is probably shorter than the average tenure of developers, but what's important is the perception, not the reality.

The message is that developers can increase their influence in the organization by demonstrating that they understand the organization's business objectives and that they are committed to achieving the business objectives rather than being committed to playing around with the coolest techno-gadgets. This means making sure business issues always dominate technology issues. It also means presenting proposals in terms that managers can understand, including staffing, schedules, opportunity costs, risk, and dollars and cents. Try it some time. It works.