"Cut your costs by 15%, I'll need your report on how you will do this by Friday." Ominous words, but words which are all too common these days. People are stretched pretty thin as it is and if your company is like most people, the work being done isn't going away. How will you do this?
Read MoreIt takes courage to stand up for what you believe to be right, for what you believe needs to change, or to the actions and decisions the authority figures and decision makers which you are accountable to. The movie Jerry Maguire opens with the lead character creating a manifesto for change. His vision was bold and would change much of how his company would conduct business. While this manifesto did not turn out too well for him personally in the short-term, in the long-term he was able to put his vision into practice and the industry was far better...
Read MoreA recent Forrester study has shown that the average job term for a CIO is on the rise. I believe there is more to the story. Going with the assumption that both the employer and employee need to realize a value in what they receive in exchange for what they give there is an implied necessary balance and harmony required for a strong and long-lasting working relationship.
Read MoreWhen companies are young, there is often abundant enthusiasm, and a scarcity of funds. From an IT perspective your decision horizon is also not too far out. You will typically have comparatively few users for the systems you have to build (or buy, or rent, or...). The criteria that you have to work with will typically be very basic functionality, low volume, and little interaction between functions. Given that the expectation that you will pull off minor miracles with two quarters and a dime, the best and easiest answer is to develop point solutions with minimal investment in the software platform. If you have enough foresight to the types of applications required ahead of time you may even invest time in an application and system architecture. Congratulate yourself if were able to pull this off in the typical start-up organization.
Read MoreIf you have developed your culture where there is a healthy sandpaper to challenge ideas, there will be no shortage of voices to listen to. Are they all equal in volume? Are they all equal in critical thinking? Are they all equal in importance? The obvious answers are no, no, and no.
Read MoreAs an organization, who are you? What is your internal and external story? If you cannot crisply define yourself in a few words you likely have a problem on your hands.
Read MoreAsk anyone (astrophysicists excluded) what the universe is made of and they will point to the mountains, oceans, plants, buildings, and people around us. They would be correct - to a point. The reality is that these known and tangible items account for four percent (4%) of the universe. Ninety six percent (96%) is unknown - called Dark Matter. What we know is vastly over-shadowed by what we don't know. Given how much we don't know, it is quite likely that we will learn that we likely don't know the 4% that well either.
Read More...One interesting aspect to explore here is not the comments or absence of them, but how the situations being commented on came to be. While many times these comments can refer to specific events, more often than not, when you dig beneath the surface, you will find that what is being reacted to is a systemic condition, the seeds (either crop or weeds) of which had been planted long ago.
Read MoreIT organizations are no different. There are a variety of people, processes, technologies, stakeholders, and customers in play. Communicating and decision-making in environments such as these is difficult at best. Successful organizations have figured out how to effectively do this.
Read MoreThe best audience is intelligent, well-educated, and a little drunk.-Alben W. Barkley
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,.
