Certification - September 2008 - (Page 29)

and resources against objectives dictated by business strategy. Remember the definition of an IT commodity will change over time and in response to market conditions. So stay agile and flexible with staff and budget deployment. At the same time, stay focused on the brainwork instead of the mechanical work, and you will provide greater value. Also, keep in touch with your peers and keep tabs on their careers and employers. Outsiders have no political stake and can provide insight and honest feedback. Measure Results Much like distribution doesn’t measure a film’s success — the box-office does — activity in IT doesn’t equal results. Sure, your staff may be busy doing something, but that something might not be moving the business forward. CIOs and senior IT executives must focus on leadership, goals and results. Tie your department’s results to business objectives. For example, if the business missed its numbers for the quarter, you should consider IT’s role in that deficit and how IT can help put revenue back on track. Keep measurements simple and aligned with executive priorities and operational plans. Measure IT in a business context rather than an IT-focused one, and you will increase your prestige with other executives. Grow Business and IT Strategy Together Some of the actors who played Bond after Connery followed his successful strategy and parlayed the stint as 007 into more lucrative work. Others did not. You should expect the same experience with your IT staff. As you transform your role in the business, it’s important your people follow that path, as well. Encourage them to pursue the same kind of education and awareness that you are pursuing. And do what you can to provide growth opportunities for them. After all, you are a team, and you will only go as far as the team can take you. For example, if there’s interest, you can provide your team members with an MBA career road map instead of an IT-centric employee development plan. Demonstrate to them that their careers have to be aligned with the business and not just tethered to IT. The more they understand how business works, the better pre- No longer impressed with IT’s nuts and bolts, CEOs, CFOs and COOs are more concerned these days with the cost of IT and its contribution to generating value. pared they’ll be to make valuable contributions to the organization. Finally, accept that not all of the team will follow this path. Some will — and should — remain focused on the purely technical side of IT. In fact, it’s your job as a leader to help individuals discover when this role fits and what value it delivers. The rapid pace of change in technology and the dynamic nature of global business put CIOs and senior IT execs, from midsize companies to major corporations alike, at risk of being typecast as one-role actors. If you aspire to the executive suite, you need to ask yourself: Am I Connery, or am I Lazenby? 8 John Bostick is president and CEO of dbaDIRECT. He can be reached at editor@certmag.com. September 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 29

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Certification - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Data Stream Virtual Village Tech Careers Dear Techie Troubleshooting Academic Connection What We Like Look Ahead So You Want to Be an IT Major The Title Is Information Officer… Chief Information Officer Interface Network Administration: Working From the Ground Up Inside Certification Ad Index Endtag

Certification - September 2008

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