Over the years, I've been involved in some published research but forgot that I'd actually had something published!
Actually, it was just a chapter in a book but still kind of fun. I did learn that I shouldn't have left so much control to the editor. I ended up wishing I'd said a few things differently or had more time to expound on the subject at hand.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A number of years ago now, while at PACCAR Inc, I was asked to speak at the quarterly Leadership Institute we held for mid-level managers and high potential employees. My assigned topic was Change Management. I'd been hired as PACCAR's first CIO in 1997 to help develop a world-class IT capability. In that role, I part of a significant upgrade in just about everything within PACCAR's IT Division. So speaking on the subject of Change Management would seem to be a natural.
But how to convey all that we'd done, how we'd approached the task and the pitfalls? A recent search on Amazon.com listed nearly 8,000 books on the subject. Clearly there's lots been said but CIO's and other IT leaders continue to struggle with how if you judge by the continued high churn rates. For better or worse, I thought I'd share what I said in those sessions.
If we are to be successful, we have to accept the challenge to not only manage change but to be a cause of it. Believe what you will about evolution (I won't debate it here!) but this quote is a favorite: “It is not the strongest of species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change”. Charles Darwin.
IT Leadership has a strategic imperative to continuously sponsor, manage, encourage and sometimes force change. There are three key areas: People, Products and Process. Change in what we produce and how we go about it are the Product and Process bits. The People side is the key however. Get the other two "right"- and a case can be made that it's not possible without the right People in the right roles- but neglect the People element and you've failed.
I'll take up the issue of People in the next few posts.
But how to convey all that we'd done, how we'd approached the task and the pitfalls? A recent search on Amazon.com listed nearly 8,000 books on the subject. Clearly there's lots been said but CIO's and other IT leaders continue to struggle with how if you judge by the continued high churn rates. For better or worse, I thought I'd share what I said in those sessions.
If we are to be successful, we have to accept the challenge to not only manage change but to be a cause of it. Believe what you will about evolution (I won't debate it here!) but this quote is a favorite: “It is not the strongest of species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change”. Charles Darwin.
IT Leadership has a strategic imperative to continuously sponsor, manage, encourage and sometimes force change. There are three key areas: People, Products and Process. Change in what we produce and how we go about it are the Product and Process bits. The People side is the key however. Get the other two "right"- and a case can be made that it's not possible without the right People in the right roles- but neglect the People element and you've failed.
I'll take up the issue of People in the next few posts.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
In a logical follow-on to my last post re: moving away from Microsoft Office there was an interesting article in Computerworld's online edition today (July 17).
I don't think by any means that every organization should ditch their existing Microsoft infrastructure for Apple or Linux or anything else. Wholesale replacement is an expensive proposition to say the least. Historically, however, little real thought's been given to considering how to eliminate or reduce some "fixed" costs. Challenging our assumptions is a key part of being a leader, especially for Technology leaders.
I don't think by any means that every organization should ditch their existing Microsoft infrastructure for Apple or Linux or anything else. Wholesale replacement is an expensive proposition to say the least. Historically, however, little real thought's been given to considering how to eliminate or reduce some "fixed" costs. Challenging our assumptions is a key part of being a leader, especially for Technology leaders.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
While at Getty Images, my team and I began to discuss ideas for how to eliminate and/or reduce our ongoing "fixed" costs.
First off, it's my opinion that there are few if any truly fixed costs in IT. There are many that are more or less semi-variable but few that are really fixed.
That aside, one of the places to we felt we could find savings was in the annual software license bucket. We began to think about how we could get out from under the Microsoft Office tax. Could we stop paying Software Assurance? What about maintenance of any kind? Once that stream of payments commences I don't many, if any, organizations who've stopped it.
Of late, I've been using NeoOffice 2.1 (yes, I'm a Mac user again, having begun with the first Mac and Apple IIe way back when). It does everything I need. I dutifully sent in a small donation and I'm never going back.
So why not the typical organization?
First off, it's my opinion that there are few if any truly fixed costs in IT. There are many that are more or less semi-variable but few that are really fixed.
That aside, one of the places to we felt we could find savings was in the annual software license bucket. We began to think about how we could get out from under the Microsoft Office tax. Could we stop paying Software Assurance? What about maintenance of any kind? Once that stream of payments commences I don't many, if any, organizations who've stopped it.
Of late, I've been using NeoOffice 2.1 (yes, I'm a Mac user again, having begun with the first Mac and Apple IIe way back when). It does everything I need. I dutifully sent in a small donation and I'm never going back.
So why not the typical organization?
Friday, July 06, 2007
IT
Leadership
Why does it seem that those two words don't go together? Or at least not in the way that businesses, their leaders, their Boards, their customers and suppliers expect?
And haven't we been talking about this problem for 20 years or more? Since the dawn of IT time?
Additionally, I've talked with a number of colleagues about the challenge to identify and develop the next generation of IT leaders. These folks may be our direct reports today. The challenge exists both inside "captive" IT groups and the consulting side of the industry.
These are two of the topics I plan on exploring in this blog. Since I don't have all the answers, I'm hoping to engage the IT and business community in discussing how we meet the challenges ahead.
What do you think is the number one reason that IT Leadership continues to be such a challenge?
Leadership
Why does it seem that those two words don't go together? Or at least not in the way that businesses, their leaders, their Boards, their customers and suppliers expect?
And haven't we been talking about this problem for 20 years or more? Since the dawn of IT time?
Additionally, I've talked with a number of colleagues about the challenge to identify and develop the next generation of IT leaders. These folks may be our direct reports today. The challenge exists both inside "captive" IT groups and the consulting side of the industry.
These are two of the topics I plan on exploring in this blog. Since I don't have all the answers, I'm hoping to engage the IT and business community in discussing how we meet the challenges ahead.
What do you think is the number one reason that IT Leadership continues to be such a challenge?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
