|
>>Back
to Joey Smith's Insights
The top ten IT
management mistakes and how to avoid them
Working with IT managers
on a regular basis allows me to see some great management
styles and some really poor ones. There are ten major
mistakes that I see IT managers make on a regular basis.
Some of these errors have even cost some managers their
jobs. Here they are:
Number 1: Focusing on technology and not the business
The typical IT manager comes from a technical background in
either infrastructure or development. Based on their
technical roots, they tend to focus their efforts in their
expertise when in fact they should be looking for ways to
support, enable, and improve the business. In order to be
successful, it is imperative that IT managers become a
business leader and turn their focus and expertise on
business issues and problems first.
Number 2: Thinking "out of sight is out of mind"
It's important to remember that in IT, no news is not good
news. IT managers tend to trudge along without ever looking
at their progress. The most powerful task an IT manager
could ever do is an assessment. There are several ways to do
this. You can do a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, or you could do a full
blown formal IT Assessment. You can even use a scorecard
system to track where you are as a department. See:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5138-1035_11-5670861.html
for a scorecard developed specifically for this purpose.
Number 3: Thinking that your team has it covered
In the TV show "The Apprentice," so many teams ended up in
the boardroom because the leader delegated a job, but didn't
follow up to make sure it was done right. Following up is
not micromanagement. It's your job as a leader to ensure
that the task gets done correctly.
Number 4: Not inspecting what you expect
This mistake has its roots in mistake number 3, but can be
carried forward into other aspects of IT. For instance, you
could possibly expect great performance out of your servers,
but may not have a system to make sure they're running at
peak capacity. This ultimately leads to poor planning,
budgeting, staffing, etc. If you want to avoid this common
pitfall, make a comprehensive list of your expectations for
your entire department. This could include critical
projects, network and server performance, client
satisfaction, etc. Double-check the list to make sure you
are inspecting all expectations on a regular basis. Keep a
checklist or develop a daily disciplines worksheet to follow
everything that needs daily inspection.
Number 5: Not creating a partnership with business
management
I find a great deal of IT managers reporting to operations
and finance personnel instead of presidents and CEOs. The
only way IT can be an effective and strategic element to
business is through partnership with business executives.
You must lead and influence your reports, peers, and leaders
to have a maximum impact on the organization. The quicker
you can get on the leadership team, the quicker you will
have the ability to execute on number 1.
Number 6: Burning
yourself out
I can't tell you how many IT managers I coach that have not
had vacations in a year or longer and routinely work over 70
hours per week. This is not only a mistake, but it's a
formula for disaster. Sometimes the thinking is that your
business can't live without you. The truth is, your business
cannot live with you burning yourself out. It only leads to
lowered productivity and, eventually, your giving up or
getting disgruntled. Do yourself, your business, your
employees, and your family a favor and take some time off.
Number 7: Not testing Your backup solution
I always tell my new IT managers that one of the most
important aspects of their jobs is ensuring a reliable
backup. Breakdowns in technology hardware are inevitable.
The next best thing is fault tolerance, but I have even seen
that fail. Don't think for a minute that if you have tapes
and if everything looks OK in your system that everything is
ok. Make sure you test backups regularly. Do test disasters
and make sure you can recover.
Number 8: Not asking for help
Too often I've seen costly mistakes made by managers and
technicians who try to solve an issue alone without
informing anyone or even reading the manual! This is a
costly mistake. If you get in over your head, do the right
thing and seek help. The key to successful IT management is
not knowing the right answers; it's being able to find them
and executing a solution as quickly and cost effectively as
possible. Don't hesitate to bring in the experts where
necessary.
Number 9: Not devoting time to personal development
There's no excuse for this mistake. Personal development is
not your company's responsibility--it's yours. I can always
tell a person’s success potential by the last five books
they've read and by the seminars they attend. Every IT
manager should be devoting at least 30 minutes a day to
personal development. The truly successful devote even more
and, in some cases, in upwards of two hours or more per day.
The most common excuse I usually hear is the lack of time or
money. The answer lies in the successful management of money
and time.
Number 10: Not finding a mentor or coach
The quickest route to success is to find someone who has
been there and emulate that person. The quickest road to
pain, hardship, and failure is to go the journey alone.
Whether you are in management or not, you should always have
a mentor or coach and you should always be mentoring or
coaching someone else. A coach will simply help you achieve
more than you could by yourself by imparting wisdom,
accountability, and crucial advice where necessary. By
coaching or mentoring someone else, you're doing the same,
but you're also solidifying your own concepts by teaching
them to others.
Email joey @
higherhill.com or call 678-448-4058 for speaking
engagements, corporate retreats, strategic
consulting, article requests or collaboration.
For more information, go to
http://www.joey-smith.com
Note: Feel free to use
this article as long as you use the resource statement
above.
>>Back
to Joey Smith's Insights
|
