It can be argued that nothing is more important to executives than knowing exactly how the money with which they entrust people translates into results. This is a fundamental frame of reference for all those who hope to sit at the proverbial table. It also moves the CIO requirement set to be inclusive of the world of finance.
Read MoreMarketing skills cannot be left to those in the marketing department. There is a heavy dose of marketing in IT. The job of the CIO depends on getting the marketing part right.
Read More...Every so often reality hits. An outside entity steps in to hold a mirror up to ourselves that provides a stiff body check to our egos. Sometime this is in the form of a player who has not been part of our league and provides a benchmark to compare to. Sometime, and this is the ego crushing part, it is in the form of a videotaping performed by a local tavern to entice vulnerable old men to watch their game while sharing a refreshment or two.
Read MoreAs a leader of your organization, you can shape your ecosystem. One of the hard parts of building out your ecosystem is determining your set of value propositions to your employees - or "why would people want to work for you?". Recruiting for new people may cause you to think through your value proposition to fill a role. This is different however, than value proposition to your workforce as the focus is smaller and typically less lasting.
Read MoreOver the last few weeks there has been no end to the drama which has been unfolding in the health care debates. Debates of course being a very generous term. What we are seeing is pent up outrage over what people believe they are going to lose, or not going to gain. If there is one thing we can all count on, as much as death and taxes, is that the more a group of people has to gain or lose, the more they will fight to capitalize or preserve their situation. In the case of the US health care reform / health insurance reform there are plenty of groups to "go to work."
Read More""...And a weekend-scale implementation on a personal site usually translates roughly into a 90-day implementation cycle in a business context, which is a reasonably approachable project size. (In tech, three days in personal effort often translates to three months of corporate effort.)"" I've always intuitively believed that there is a significant productivity improvement which can be found when sufficiently motivated and talented individuals work on their own projects compared to when they work on corporate projects. But this statement implies a 30x productivity gain. Can this be true? Maybe so...
Read MoreFrom the consultant or contractor perspective, letting go is a very hard thing to do. The process of performing the type of work which consultants and contractors do is intellectually and surprisingly emotionally engaging. Comparisons can easily be drawn between many consulting and contracting engagements and raising children. There is a great deal of the consultant's soul in the project.
Read MoreAs an executive, you find yourself in unfamiliar waters. You have a groundswell of demand for collaborative and Web 2.0 technologies and many are currently used within your organization. While you have concerns over reliability, security, availability, on-going support, and a variety of other topics, you realize the value of these technologies and know that the promise they show will be of tremendous value. Given your extensive knowledge and relationships within the company, you know that of the 360 degrees on the compass in which you can direct your company, you have narrowed the down a possible directional choices to "generally northwest".
Read MoreNuts and bolts time. As a leader how do your demonstrate your leadership? Are you doing anything to position yourself as something other than a leader? There are probably hundreds of tasks and activities which you can do during any given day. The items with which you choose to interact with people, and how you choose to interact with people, will play a big part in your ability to lead them.
Read MoreTrue contractors have a specific blood type. It is a different blood type from that of a consultant, but a blood type none the less. True contractors also are distinguished from people who work on a contract while between full-time employees (contractor by convenience). I differentiate contractors from consultants by a simple rule of thumb. An organization will hire a consultant to advise them on a course of action. An organization will hire a contractor (or many) as a source of external labor to execute against a pre-defined plan. In the IT arena roles of project manager and programmer are frequently filled by contractors.
Read MoreWe help organizations take their next steps, whether that be by through establishing a vision, and supporting operations to realize the vision, introducing emerging technologies, or working through the human capital challenges, we are there for you, engaging at whatever point you are in your journey,.
