Masters of all things wired (and wireless), IT managers are not only called upon to write policy within the IT department, but they also contribute to company-wide policies on e-mail usage, Internet access, cellular phone activity, and data security.
Enforcing policy within the department may not pose a challenge for the IT department leader, but backing a weak enterprise-wide policy can quickly turn into an act of political futility. The McLean Report offers a wide variety of templates covering a broad array of typical IT related policies; however, policy in itself cannot govern an organization.
The Traffic Signal Analogy
Traffic signals on the road govern user behavior; similarly, policies in the workplace govern employee actions. Yet, despite clear signals along the highway, signage in itself does not necessarily guarantee compliance with traffic regulations. Speeding is less likely when law-enforcement is visible and the consequences for speeding are known.
