IT Organization: right-size your organization for success

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

IT Organization: right-size your organization for success
An IT manager needs an organization plan that builds the appropriate mix of skills, experience, capability and capacity to meet your company’s technology support needs. Don’t spend more than is needed, , , right-size your organization.

The best lesson any manager can learn is that it’s more important to the company in what the IT organization can accomplish as opposed to what the manager can accomplish. A heavy emphasis on ‘team’ and ‘teamwork’ make this publication essential in developing leadership skills that help you build an appropriate organization to meet the needs of your company.

Table of Contents

Book excerpts

Tools

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Buy the entire
Practical IT Manager GOLD Series

$279.00

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Posted in IT Manager Tools

Tagged building organization, it organization, right-size organization

IT Strategy: align your IT vision for business value

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

IT Strategy: align your IT vision for business value
The key to keeping IT aligned with your company is to develop a practical IT strategy for your company, review it with your senior management team, and gain their support. This book takes you step by step through the whole process.

Create strategic plans for your IT organization and set yourself apart from your peers. Most IT Managers are reactive managers only because they haven’t learned the value of developing long term strategies that work. This book even discusses how to prepare for your strategy recommendation meeting with your senior management team to gain their agreement and support.

Included is an actual strategic IT plan example with CIO level insight into each component.

Table of ContentsBook excerpts

Tools

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Buy the entire
Practical IT Manager GOLD Series

$279.00

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Posted in IT Manager Tools

Tagged it strategy, it vision, strategic it plan

IT Project Management: a practical approach

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

IT Project Management: a practical approach
The key to IT credibility is delivering projects successfully. Doing this is not as complex as you might think, , , I’ll give you a simple yet effective process to use and tools that will help you make it happen consistently.

Managing projects effectively is crucial for any IT manager. Establishing a reputation that you deliver projects on time and within budget with minimal problems will position you for many more responsibilities in your company.

This publication provides a “short cut” to effective project management techniques that I learned at IBM and other companies that have helped me for over 30 years. Tools are included to simplify the entire process.

Table of Contents

Book Excerpts

Tools

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Buy the entire
Practical IT Manager GOLD Series

$279.00

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Tagged pm process, project management, project management templates, project management tools, project manager

IT Due Diligence: merger and acquisition discovery process

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

IT Due Diligence: merger and acquisition discovery process Our Best Selling e-book
The key to IT success is being able to identify what your team needs to work on. Use the process and tools I developed while conducting over 40 company acquisitions to help you assess any IT support situation.

Tools, examples, and plenty of “how to” discussion provides what you need to conduct a technology assessment efficiently and thoroughly, even a report template to help you organize and present your findings and recommendations.

Table of Contents

Book excerpts
Tools

————————————————————

Buy the entire
Practical IT Manager GOLD Series

$279.00

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Posted in IT Manager Tools

Tagged it assessment, it due diligence, merger and acquisition

Big trend in outsourcing the Data Center

Posted on April 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

Have you looked at outsourcing your Data Center?

If not, you may want to.

Large companies like Amazon started the trend of “co-locating” their Data Centers offsite with companies who create giant “Data Center space and support for rent”.

I’m now seeing more and more small to mid-size companies begin moving their Data Center equipment to a co-location. There are many benefits that are worth thinking about:

Space - Moving your Data Center frees up space in your company that may be better utilized for other things.

Data Center environment requirements - A co-location company invests in building, AC, and security to provide a suitable environment for Data Center equipment, , , it’s what they do.

Support resource – You can reduce the number of resources you need to support a co-located Data Center. A co-location provides systems expertise and support that you normally would have had to hire yourself.

Support critical mass – Not only does the co-location provide support resources, an organization like this typically has enough critical mass that vacations, people getting sick, or losing an employee does not affect your company like it would if you staff your own Data Center.

Energy costs – Data Centers have huge energy consumption because of the heat produced by servers and technology equipment. Moving your Data Center offsite can reduce your energy bill.

24 X 7 Backup – Co-Locations guarantee backup support for your virtual Data Center.

Systems upgrade support – Support to help you add, upgrade or eliminate servers as needed to maintain a cost effective environment.

Cost – The biggest reason is probably cost. Outsourcing your Data Center can reduce your cost by 20-70%, , , definitely something worth evaluating.

Focus - Allows you to focus on your core competency and leave much of the infrastructure work to organizations that invest in being able to do a stellar job in this area, , , reduces cost, worry, and stress associated with a traditional Data Center.

If you have input from using a co-location or experience in this area, feel free to comment.

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Posted in IT Manager Tips

Tagged co-location, Data Center, outsourcing Data Center

Prepare for your interview

Posted on April 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

I received a question today from one of my followers who is about to go into an interview next week for an IT manager position. He gave me the qualifications of the job and asked me a question, “How do I prepare for the interview?”

I sent him the information below:

To prepare for an interview, I would do the following:

Learn all you can about the position, the company, and the hiring manager.
Make a list of possible questions your interviewer may have and develop your responses.
Make a list of “selling points” that describe the value you offer a company that hires you. Be sure to focus on “results”, not technical capability.
1. Past accomplishments
2. Key successes you have achieved
3. Experiences you have relative to the position job description
Key things to think about going into an interview:
1. Managers hire managers who can get things done, , , they look for people who have delivered results.
2. Important to talk in a business oriented manner, not in technical acronyms, , , unless the interview is for a technical position.
3. Load up your discussion points with benefits (results, complimentary experiences, , , reasons you are a good choice).
Make a list of key questions you want to learn about the position, company, or the person you will report to.
Here are a couple of resources you may want to review:
1. ITLever BLOG post – Fast Start for a New IT Manager — http://itlever.com/2010/05/24/new-it-manager-needs-a-fast-start/
2. 20MITM e-learning session – Fast Start for a New IT Manager — http://www.20minuteitmanager.com/sessions/060602FASTSTART

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Posted in IT Manager Tips

Tagged interview tips

Invest in your communication skills to excel

Posted on March 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

IT managers who have great communication skills are rare, and it is the key skill that will set you apart from your peers. I tell every class that if I were a young manager the one thing I would invest in would be my communication skills.

OK, I realize this is probably not what gets you excited. Before you stop reading, consider a few benefits that come with IT managers who become effective communicators.

They get what they ask for – Good communicators know how to discuss the business value of projects and IT initiatives. When you communicate benefits and justify the cost of things, , , senior management buys in.
Effective communicators develop partners – More importantly, they develop partners with their clients (senior managers and department managers). Clients need to know what’s going on with IT support and keeping them up to date creates trust.
Strong communicators develop respect – No one knows what you are doing unless you communicate it. Effective communicators know how to deliver IT successes with facts and numbers that demonstrate how well IT support is working.
Effective communicators motivate their staff – Leadership is dependent upon effective communication. Strong communicators rally their troops when they provide vision and coach the team to succeed.

Your career will take on a whole new path if you develop strong communication skills, , , it is the key trait required to succeed in your management role. Develop all of the following skills and watch your career take off: