You remember the party game called “telephone,” where you form a line, and a message is whispered from one person to the next? It’s a primitive form of entertainment, in which the punch line comes at the end of the exercise, when you compare the original message to the garbled version that made its way through the human “telephone line.” Usually, the results bear little resemblance to the original.

Along providing cheap laughs, playing telephone is also very instructive in showing how inventive – and inaccurate -- humans can be when it comes to relaying basic information. This communications challenge is exactly what lies at the root of many failed technology initiatives --and mobility is no exception, as I pointed in out my recent blog (“Failure to Communicate: Why Some Business Are Backing Off From BYOD”). It was also the subject explored in this week’s Enterprise Mobile Hub Twitter Tuesday #MobileBizChat  session.

The questions this week centered around mobility initiatives, and why the success of these corporate communications efforts are so ironically dependent on the organization’s simple ability to communicate. Some of the most surprising and insightful comments came in answer to these questions:

• ·         What's the hardest thing for IT leadership to communicate to users about mobility and BYOD?
• ·         What's the hardest thing for IT leaders to communicate to LOB management about mobility and BYOD?
• ·         What's the one thing about mobility and BYOD that IT leaders still just don’t get?

@fryfrye tweeted that the hardest thing for IT leadership to communicate to users about mobility and BYOD is that “Mobility != BYOD,” to which @Spike_Mobile responded, “lol very true!”

“The other hard thing to communicate to users by IT re: BYOD is that there's a whole new world of requirements around ‘trust’," posted @jayfry3. "It's really hard to explain why enterprise systems don't work like consumer ones. But users know that already :)” he added.

In response to the question, “What's the hardest thing for IT leaders to communicate to LOB management about mobility and BYOD?“ @jdashca contributed, “Often it's not about ‘hard’ but about different missions.” Meanwhile, @b52junebug pointed to “Accountability. Just because it’s your device doesn’t mean you can do anything they want with corp data. Must comply.”

The final question – “What's the one thing about mobility and BYOD that IT leaders still just don’t get?” – elicited this response from @bmkatz “We spend so much time worrying about BYOD and who owns/pays for device we lose sight of enabling the user.” He added, “They don't understand what enablement is, they think by having a BYOD program they've enabled users, not true.”@pcalento added, “Mobility management isn't a ‘set it and forget it’ type of thing. It is a continuous cycle.”

More #MobileBizChat Twitter Highlights:

@jayfry3: IT to LOB: "With great, um, mobility comes great responsibility" ;) ...and IT has to find ways to enable AND control.

@Bitzer_Walt: Be honest - putting email on the CxO's new toy is not mobile strategy. Enabling entire sales team, now that takes strategy!

@b52junebug: How to be successful with BYOD: Set user expectations, align biz goals, and consequence management enforcement

@bmkatz: Users will either use a great UX provided to them that is secure or find a way around it so they can get their work done

@paulmadsen: Controlling what apps get what data is easy in pure online model. Supporting offline mandates different protections

@appcentral: BYOD is fine and well, but organizations need to define boundaries around which apps are allowed on what devices.

@bitzermobile: Clear communication of #BYOD policies is often poorly done...need not be so though if communication is user-centric

@Cisco_Mobile: Social connections are not key to Mobile success, engagement with Data is.

@Framehawk: The hardest thing for IT to communicate to users re BYOD? Why security trumps usability. Hardest for users? The reverse.

@Mikeamobile: Need to drive requirements around data protection, ease of use, and access to information.

@PaladorBenjamin: approach mobility as just a tool rather than a silver bullet

@Swarnapodila: If cost is a driver for ur #mobile program you have already failed, enablement is your driver...than look at ROI

@Tcrawford: Mobile is a requirement in today's business…not an optional expense.        

To follow the entire transcript, just go to Twitter.com and follow hashtag #MobileBizChat.

Enterprise Mobile Hub’s Twitter Tuesday chats take place every Tuesday, starting at 11am PT/2pm ET. Join the conversation!