Tag Archives: it manager institute

Two more IT Manager Institutes held

Posted on October 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

We held two more IT Manager Institutes in September and October with 35 IT managers from 12 countries attending.

#52 – Columbia, TN – September 2012

–

#53 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates – October 2012

We have delivered 53 IT Manager Institute programs since 2003. The IT Business Manager Certification (ITBMC) was added in 2005 with a joint development venture with Belmont University. The Institute is considered by many as one of the best and most practical IT manager development programs in the industry.

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , , , , ,

51st IT Manager Institute held in Atlanta, Georgia

Posted on May 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last week, I held the 51st IT Manager Institute in Norcross, GA, , , just north of Atlanta and next to Roswell, GA where I lived for 20 years.

Samuel and Georgette – IT Manager Institute #51

The 51st class was small. We had 4 students drop out the week before the class due to vacation, project commitments, , , or in the case of one student from Venezuela who had difficulties in coordinating the trip. Fortunately, all plan to attend the fall class I have scheduled for Columbia, TN the week of September 24-28, 2012. I can hardly wait to meet them.

Normally, I would probably cancel such a small class when I have to travel, but one of the students, Samuel Alabi, came all the way from Lagos, Nigeria. His company is headquartered in Houston so he is spending a couple of more weeks in the US.

The other student, Georgette Correa, works right around the corner from where we held the class so I decided to go ahead and make it happen, , , and I’m so glad I did.

This was just a FUN CLASS, , , both Georgette and Samuel are extremely likable and fun to be around, , , we laughed quite a lot in this class. Small classes are not quite as profitable for us, but the positive thing is I’m able to get to know the students much better than in a big class, , , and, I’m “helping IT managers of the world achieve more success” , , , one manager at a time.

It’s worth the effort.

Driving around my old neighborhood brought back some great memories, , , plus I was able to have dinner with my brother, Mark.

On another night, I met Tom Mochal at the Cheesecake Factory in Perimeter Mall where we met one another for the first time in 2002. Tom and I have become close and share ideas with each other in meetings and our wives enjoy getting together.

Joining us was Craig Telfer, a long time friend who I worked with in two companies. It is always good to see Craig and I consider him a “brother”.

Dexter Oliver and his best friend for many years, Irvin, also joined us for dinner, , , I met Dex in February 2007 when he attended the IT Manager Institute (#23) in Nashville, TN. Dex hosted this Atlanta class and has sent 10 or more of his managers through the program over the years we have known one another. He is a great guy.

Dex makes a great comment about the program, “There is a huge difference in a manager who has attended the IT Manager Institute. Working with a manager who has gone through the program is ‘night and day’ compared to someone who has not.”

I was remiss not to get a photo of the dinner with Tom, Craig, Dex and Irvin.

But, , , here are a couple more photos of the 51st IT Manager Institute class.

Dinner at Ippolito’s

Samuel and Georgette after a great meal at Ippolito’s

Here are a few of their comments:
“This course is the best course pertaining to IT that I’ve ever taken. I highly recommend it for anyone in IT – not just managers.”

“Mike Sisco is ranked, in my book, one of the greatest teachers. He has made a huge impact in my thought process in reference to my IT career.”

“The content is very much a “must know” for IT managers who are hungry to succeed.”

“This is a mini MBA for IT managers.”

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , ,

“One is the loneliest number” – IT Manager Institute #49

Posted on March 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Linda Duntsch didn’t realize she would be the only student in the 49th IT Manager Institute. We knew the class was going to be small as there were just three paid registrations. First, one no-show from Accra, Ghana and another who requested to be allowed to attend the Atlanta class in May. Turns out that the manager who asked to postpone is also from Linda’s company.

Well, , , “The show must go on!”

When Linda told her manager she was the only one in the class, he jokingly suggested she might need “remedial instruction”. It’s obvious she has a good relationship with her manager, , , always a good thing to see.

The great thing about a small class is that we get to know one another a lot more. One of the best aspects of my travels is the opportunity I have to meet so many good people who are striving to succeed as IT managers, , , the most difficult management role in a company.

There was plenty of discussion and Linda achieved her ITBMC certification with one of the best exam scores we have had, , , looks like the “remedial help” worked.

Here are a few photos:

IT Manager Institute #49 – Columbia TN

Dinner with The Sisco’s, , , Mike, Dorine and Eddie

Cajun dinner at River Terraces overlooking the Duck River – always memorable

Small classes are fun and allow considerable more discussion of the material and what the students would like to talk about. Every class is unique with a different “class personality”. Linda made this class fun and interesting.

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , ,

48th IT Manager Institute – Dubai, UAE

Posted on March 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

Today wraps up my 48th IT Manager Institute and 5th program in Dubai, UAE.

What a GREAT group this was to work with, , , without question one of my best and most fun group of managers to spend time with. They clicked with one another from the very first day.

And what a wonderful city we are in, , , there is nothing like Dubai in the world.

Last night’s dinner was special. We ate at the Armani Mediterraneo restaurant in the Burj Khalifa, , , tallest building in the world. It is more impressive every time I see it.

Food was great but the cameraderie and bonding with members of the class is what makes our class dinners so special for me. I tell everyone that I get to meet some of the best people in the world and this group stands among the very best.

Today, we finish the presentations, award class certificates, and finish the ITBMC exams. They are all a bit anxious about passing the exam, but I can tell they will do fine. I’ve done this many times and you get a sense for these things based upon class participation, type of questions asked, etc.

My next class is just a couple of weeks away, , , this time I’ll be at home in Columbia, TN. I look forward to the next group and know it will also be a great class.

More photos of this week.

  In the classroom

 Burj Khalifa at night.

The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world at over 828 meters (2,716 feet), , , that’s over half a mile long. This building owns several world records:

World Records

•  Tallest building in the world
•  Tallest free-standing structure in the world
•  Highest number of stories in the world
•  Highest occupied floor in the world
•  Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
•  Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
•  Tallest service elevator in the world 


Over twice as tall as the Empire State Building


Dinner at the Burj Khalifa

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute, IT Manager Tips

Tagged , , ,

My 5th trip to Dubai

Posted on March 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

This week I’m in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) for my 5th visit to teach another IT Manager Institute, , , it is my 48th program since 2003.

The trip started off well with an open seat next to me on the airplane. The flight was free by using points from my frequent flyer account and being able to stretch out a bit on the 14-hour flight from Atlanta made it even more better.

I’ve worked in IT most of my career so I take a few precautions when flying on such long trips.

  • First, I take an earlier flight from Nashville to Atlanta. It causes me to have a longer layover, but I have a backup plan with later flights to Atlanta if mine is delayed or something happens to cancel the flight. Sure don’t want to miss my connection as it would mean I have to fly through Paris, , , and I avoid that airport at all costs.
  • Second, I arrive in Dubai a day ahead of time. This gives me a whole day to rest before class and also provides a backup plan in case something happens to delay or cancel the flight. I had to use this backup alternative on one of my previous flights so I know it can happen.

Getting here a day early allows me to rest up like I said and to get my body adjusted to the local time.

Class started yesterday and we have a great group, , , 7 managers from UAE, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. The week will go by fast because I can already tell this group is going to be fun to work with, , , they started “jabbing” a bit on the first day, , , a very good sign!!

I plan to see some new things on this trip plus I have already had an amazing experience that I’ll share in my next post.

Cheers.

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , ,

IT Manager Store web site announcement

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last week we announced the IT Manager Store web site to our newsletter subscribers, , , one location where you will find some of the best and most practical IT manager resources in the industry.

To “jumpstart” the site and offer our newsletter subscribers an opportunity, we announced a 20% across the board discount for items purchased on the IT Manager Store site through January 31, 2012.

Books
Tools and templates
Training

You can take advantage of this limited time special. Simply use the coupon code “jumpstart” and the site’s shopping cart will reduce your price automatically.

Go to
www.itmanagerstore.com
and check it out

Offer good through January 31, 2012

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , , ,

Big plans for 2012

Posted on January 26, 2012 | Leave a comment

As you look at your own IT management situation, new optimism occurs with the beginning of each new year. The holidays are over and a new year has begun.

Have you developed your 2012 plans, , , do you know what you want to accomplish in this new year?

We have big plans for 2012 at MDE Enterprises, Inc. and have been working very hard to get positioned for 2012. Let me outline the key components for you:

A.  IT Manager Institute training – our flagship IT Manager Institute training program will expand in 2012 with webinar training and we will add many more IT managers to the ITBMC certification list. Our goal is to make this exceptional training value available to every IT manager in the world by making it accessible and affordable. There are now 3 options to attend the IT Manager Institute and gain your ITBMC status.
–  Classroom  –  Five classes scheduled so far with trips to Dubai and Atlanta.
–  Webinar  –  IT Manager Institute webinar class will be delivered each quarter.
–  Self Study  –   IT Manager Institute SELF STUDY program is the most affordable and one of the best values we have.

B. WEBINAR Training Series – We plan to deliver 1-hour webinar classes to expand our reach considerably in 2012, to make our training more affordable for many, and to be able to offer a variety of IT manager training topics.
–  2 webinar classes delivered each month and recorded for future access. Our first webinar classes include:

  • Feb 6 – Boost Your Career With a Professional Development Plan
  • Feb 13 – Communicate IT Success With an IT Initiatives Portfolio
  • Mar 12 – Turn Difficult Clients Into Opportunities
  • Mar 26 – Dealing With Problem Employees
  • Apr 9 – Triple Threat to IT Success
  • Apr 16 – IT Assessment: the key to success

–  Quarterly IT Manager Institute webinar programs

  • Monday-Friday, February 20-24
  • Monday-Friday, April 23-27
  • Monday-Friday, July 23-27
  • Monday-Friday, November 12-16

C. 20 Minute IT Manager Series – Tom Mochal and I are developing new 20 Minute IT Manager sessions and will start delivering two per month. Here is the list of topics for the first six months:

  • Jan – Value-Add PMO (TM)
  • Jan – Simple Client Survey Tells You a Lot (MS)
  • Feb – Successfully Market Your PMO (TM)
  • Feb – Effective IT Staff Meetings (MS)
  • Mar – Managing Outsourced Projects (TM)
  • Mar – 10 Ways To Improve Client Service (MS)
  • Apr – Five Keys to Project Success (TM)
  • Apr – Prioritizing IT Projects (MS)
  • May – Applying Project Governance (TM)
  • May – IT Self Evaluation Checklist (MS)
  • Jun – Optimizing Project Resources (TM)
  • Jun – Create an IT Manager Dashboard (MS)

D. IT Due Diligence and Assimilation Program – Join me in a 2-day training program to learn what you need to know about IT due diligence and assimilation when acquiring another company. The process and tools are based upon my due diligence and transition experience in over 40 company acquisitions.

  • March 27-28, 2012 – Columbia, TN

E.  Books and tools – You probably know I devoted considerable time in 2011 to rewrite my first 10 books. They are completed and now called Mike Sisco’s Practical IT Manager GOLD Series. This series includes an updated IT Manager ToolKit and has been our top seller for 10 years, , , and it just got a whole lot better. CLICK HERE for info.

New book titles + new tools will be released in 2012. Stay tuned.

F.  New products – We have been hard at work to bring two new services to our IT manager community. The first is a Membership Program that allows you to access tools, training and products from our huge inventory of IT manager resources. There will be 3 levels – FREE, Silver, and Gold. Become a Premium Member and save. Active GOLD Members will receive new products and training we deliver.

The second product gives you the ability to earn commissions by creating awareness of our IT manager products. Affiliate status is available to a very select group, , , you have to be an IT Manager Institute graduate or a current GOLD Member of our membership program to participate. We are testing this system now and plan to roll it out in January to our Institute graduates first.

2012 is going to be a super year full of new experiences and great new projects to work on as we continue our mission of, “helping IT managers of the world achieve more success”.

I wish you the best of success as you enter this new year’s challenges and opportunities.

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , ,

MDE.net has moved to ITManagerInstitute.com

Posted on January 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Well, it is finally completed, , , our web sites have been completely overhauled using a WordPress foundation. The mde.net web site will be phased out over time and we have moved to itmanagerinstitute.com.

WHY?

Pretty simple, , , the old web site certainly needed a facelift plus the tools we were using were not very search engine friendly although we rank pretty good in some keyword instances.

I also felt we needed to brand “IT Manager Institute” more with a .com domain.

In addition, we have many new products (some in place already and a few being developed) and wanted to replace our order process, shopping cart, and fulfillment tools, , , so everything really needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

Lastly, maintaining a web site with WordPress tools is so easy I couldn’t resist making the move to this environment. Creating the ITLever Blog opened my eyes to how much more fun and productive it can be.

The heavy lifting is completed. I’m sure we will find things that need “tweaking” but the new site is up and running and we are selling books, tools, and training from it already. We are pleased with the conversion. mde.net will stay up for a few months because of some of the page rankings in the search engines.

Hope you like our new itmanagerinstitute.com web site.

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , , , ,

IT Manager Institute #47 and our first via webinar

Posted on December 2, 2011 | 4 comments

This week I have been delivering an IT Manager Institute to managers in Croatia and Slovenia, , , all from my home office via webinar. The class is hosted by Housing Co., a Slovenia based company who has hosted three of our past IT Manager Institute classes.

I’ve been thinking of doing this for some time but was always concerned about the length of time students have to sit in front of their PC to receive the considerable amount of material I cover in the 5-day IT Manager Institute.

We have met for 5 to 6 hours each day this week and will complete the program on Friday. From my side, it is much easier because I don’t have to stand up all day. I’m interested in seeing the survey results to see how they match up with past students who have participated in the classroom version.

A webinar is more of a “one-sided” experience with less interaction, and I can tell there is not nearly the same energy level as I experience in the classroom. It is simply harder to get to know your students in this format. This is the biggest downside I think.

My sense is that webinars are better when they are no more than 1 to 2 hours in length, but our students expressed a desire to work through the program in one week rather than spreading it out over several weeks.

The upside is that we can deliver the class at a lower cost, , , requires no travel for students or myself, , , no airfare, hotel or food expenses, , , and it is less wear and tear on one’s body when you eliminate long plane trips.

Some of the students are working most of the day and attending the class in the evening, , , they are 7 hours ahead of me so when we start at 8:00am my time it is 3:00pm their time. This may be an additional benefit for students I haven’t thought about, , , or maybe not. 🙂

In 2012, I have plans to deliver a whole series of webinar classes on specific topics to help IT managers achieve more success. If the survey results are positive for this class we may add IT Manager Institutes to our webinar plans.

4 Comments

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , , , ,

IT Manager Institute – Webinar Series

Posted on November 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

The week of November 28 – December 2, 2011 I will deliver a 5-day IT Manager Institute via webinar so anyone in the world can gain access to a “live” presentation of our highly successful program.

Date:  Monday, November 28th through Friday, December 2nd, 2011
Time:  8:00am to 2:00pm each day (US Central Timezone, , , GMT -6) each day with breaks.
Where:  From your PC or laptop connection to the Internet

Seats are limited
and the price for this first webinar class
is reduced by 30%.

In 2012, I will deliver quite a bit of training via webinar including the IT Manager Institute. You will hear more about this training series in the weeks to come, , , I have been quite busy preparing for a major launch of new IT manager products and services in January 2012.

The IT Manager Institute webinar to be held next week includes 5 days of instruction and the ability to take the ITBMC exam upon completing the course. All you need is a good internet connection and time to sit in on the class. Registration fee is $1,950.00, , , 30% discount from my classroom format and will include the same instructional information, class materials and BONUS items you receive in a class, , , plus the ability to take the ITBMC exam to obtain your IT Business Manager Certification.

This will be my 47th IT Manager Institute class but the first one delivered by webinar. Take advantage of the discounted price while you can.

Spend five days with me and learn practical processes that will help you achieve more success and receive over 100 IT management tools to make it happen.

Program details are at www.mde.net/institute

Register now

$ 1,950.00
5 days of online training with Mike Sisco

Leave a comment

Posted in IT Manager Institute

Tagged , , , , , ,