Strategies and Trends for Information Technology Leaders
The fact is that each person has a wealth of wisdom inside. However, most people don’t keep track of it, much less write it down. Here’s a great way to start tracking some of the wisdom you share every day: When you’re speaking with someone, every now and then you will say a guiding principle….
For the last several decades, we have all been working hard at helping our company become a fast and agile information age organization. We’ve found new and better ways to distribute and display data and information. We now have 24/7 access to email and websites via a multitude of devices, such as smartphones, smart-tablets, laptops,…
The key is to understand how people like to communicate. Therefore, before you use a certain communication tool with an individual or group, ask yourself, “How does this person (or department, company, etc.) prefer to communicate?” If you’re not sure, look at how the other party regularly communicates with you. People tend to use the…
A community of interest may be people who love dogs, sailboats, or motorcycles. The topic is irrelevant. It’s an environment where people share similar interests or passions. You can even get granular when it comes to communities of interest. For example, you can narrow down your motorcycle community to one that only includes people who…
Today’s technology is nothing short of amazing. As a CIO or other top level IT professional, this presents an interesting dilemma. On the one hand, you see so many technological opportunities for your organization, from new ways to communicate with customers to new revenue streams, that the possibilities for business growth seem endless. On the…
Use the power of certainty to your advantage. When you’re selling your ideas, the people you’re talking to are thinking risk: personal risk, financial risk, reputational risk, etc. You have to alleviate their fear of risk. How? Remember this: Strategies based on uncertainty have high risk, while strategies based on certainty have low risk. Therefore,…
As a CIO or leader in your organization’s IT department, you’re managing many things: the company’s network, numerous technical projects, and (hopefully) a talented group of IT people. But you’re also managing many other important things including the perception others have of IT; constant change from outside forces; how distracted you and your team are…
This issue of perception management is critical to your personal success and your company’s success. Remember that any organization can use technology for two key things: to lower costs and/or to create new products, services, and markets. Typically, the CFO drives many decisions and focuses more on using technology to lower costs. While that’s often…
Know whether you’re dealing with a cycle or a permanent change – The good news is that most changes are cyclical rather than permanent. For example, home values will always rise and fall, the stock market will always fluctuate between bull and bear, and a company’s sales will continually ebb and flow with the seasons….
Unfortunately, most people are afraid to unplug, even when they’re on vacation. They believe something might happen, so they have to be always connected to work. But this means they’re never really on vacation, and when they’re home, they’re not really home, they’re always working. But if your people are always working, how well are…