I think Barry's perspective is not entirely typical of IT
He works with a very specific mission: "Do exactly this: better, faster, cheaper." Sure, there is room for creativity in how you get there. But I suspect Barry is entirely uninterested in trying out some cool new thing, or trying to revolutionize his company's core business model.
This is fairly different from other places I've worked, where those in IT think they have the Next Big ThingTM. Or at least think that IT is still an inherently creative discipline, not subject to the same rigid processes as boring things like logistics. Rational adults know that unless your business is software, business needs should dictate the direction of development, not the other way around.
Now take your average 40-something IT director with fond memories of writing BASIC on a Commodore 64. He may have been the first "computer guy" when his company started bringing in computers in the late 80s. His primary qualification is that he's been around longer that anyone else in the department and knows how it all (almost) works. Now he has a budget and hiring authority.
Barry's process works for him because he does know what he wants out of an employee. I haven't seen much evidence that that's a common trait.
