Strategies and Trends for Information Technology Leaders
As I pointed out last month in my first article, to become a master communicator you need to first become a master listener. One of the challenges to becoming a master listener is being fully present. By filtering what is being said through your own conceptual conditioning your IT leadership abilities will be reduced. Why…
What is at the top of the list is for people is to feel like their work matters; that it counts for something. The companies who create meaning for the work keep their employees engaged and productive through the business downturns and budget cuts I recently heard part of an interview with Dan Ariely about…
Nearly every CIO knows the build-a-business-case drill when it comes to validating a new tech buy. Few, however, are aware that they may need to build a business case to secure their job or to move ahead in a promotion. Many erroneously believe simply keeping IT running smoothly will win them recognition for a job…
Running an IT organization is very much about optimizing cost and risk: What is the lowest cost way to deliver each service without risking the required service level? What must be developed or managed internally and what should be outsourced? Once you get clear on that, how do you then think about the ROI for…
When you’re evaluating the talent on your team, no doubt top of mind are their technical abilities: Can they code well? Are they keeping your network secure? Can they help your firm get the most out of its databases? But, do you also consider their soft skills? Sometimes these can get pushed aside, especially if…
There is constant pressure to do the urgent things that come in but even without the urgent stuff, IT backlogs typically are huge and new requests may get placed so far down the list it’s more like saying “No” than actually doing anything about it. In this economy and job market, people don’t want to…
They stand on a high and precarious perch that is visible to all but dangerous to just one: the CIO. To survive and prosper in this harsh new environment, a CIO must boldly make his mark and daringly place her bets. It is not a position for the fearful, the weak or the bashful techie….
In an age when incredibly fast change is the only constant, it is remarkable that any given CIO stays in position longer than a single CPU refresh cycle. Yet many have successfully remained in place, but not without some serious, and repeated, repositioning. In the beginning, legacy systems offered CIOs a degree of job security;…
Being the smartest one in the room is not easy position to be in. In IT you face this situation regularly; especially when you are in a roomful of non-IT people and you need to make progress on a discussion about technology. You know the answer. You get there before everyone else. It is frustrating…
Over the years, I have written a lot on the topic of credibility (see sidebar). Over and above delivering great results, building your credibility is necessary to enhance both your effectiveness and survivability as a CIO. It helps you avoid stupid questions, re-work, and endlessly defending your honor (and your budget). After credibility, relevance is…