Cloud Computing, where the architecture of your technology estate is based upon the integration of third-party technologies and services, is gaining momentum in the industry. It’s a natural extension of outsourcing where an organization uses technology within it’s own physical boundary (i.e. its data-center) but the technology is owned and operated by the vendor. The […]
Can You Afford the Cloud? Read More »
I’ve been fishing around the IT community for a couple of months to understand the general attitude towards ‘green IT’. I received quite a mixed bag of results so I thought I’d share them with you.Firstly some stats. I’ve spoken with 98 people, mostly from IT ops, specifically about the issue:Only 12 of these people
Not Green IT again! Read More »
A leader’s word is their bond. That’s what their followers expect, but when that commitment continually fails, it’s a slippery slope.Has your boss ever agreed to deliver something, and then let you down? Annoying isn’t it? A position of leadership is a privilege and a responsibility, and that responsibility is to create the environment for
Is the Road to Hell is Pathed With a Leaders Good Intentions? Read More »
Here is a really simple test to find out if you’re a somebody or nobody 🙂 Open Google.comand type your name inside “quotes” (e.g. “Simon Stapleton”) into the Search Box. ClickGoogle Search. Look at the results. OK yes, that is REALLY simple. But did the results surprise you? Are there pages that mention your name and
What is Your External Profile? A Simple Test Read More »
I found an interesting article on mashable.com where the blocking of content is discussed. With the rise of cloud computing and increasing number of teleworkers, IT leaders might be putting their business at risk if they are not in control of their ISPs, who may act on their own discretion to block connectivity. The link:
Beware of the Danger of Blocking on the Web Read More »
Web2.0 and collaborative technologies promise a new world of integrated thought leadership. However they are not without their flaws. There are three key weaknesses in the typical use of collaborative technologies. The weaknesses are in the way decisions are made that lead to action. Decisions are made by committees. The larger the group of contributors
Enabling Action-Orientation with Collaborative Technologies Read More »
A Leader isn’t a Leader without Followers. This is convention, but do you know what type of Follower you are, and what type of Followers do you have as a Leader?Take a look at this HBS Working Knowledge article which discusses the various categories of Follower – although it’s important to understand that a Follower’s
Web 2.0 Enabled Followership: Implications Read More »
Your company’s gateway to the Internet is replacing your Shop Window and your Telephone Switchboard. Outage can be measured in lost dollars and reputation.If you pick up the phone to make a call and don’t here the dial-tone, what do you do? You might swear and bang the receiver repeatedly in disgust. If you go to a retail outlet and
Why IT Infrastructure really is the ‘Dial-Tone’ of Business Operations Read More »
The big benefits of being freelance is that you generally decide what work you take on, and when you take it on, and there are considerable financial benefits in the short term. IT freelancing is lucrative, compared with permanent positions: income can be three times or more! The trouble with freelancing though is that reaping
What Soft Skills Training and Development do Freelancers need? Read More »
Do you Dress for Success? Or are you more shorts and t-shirt than sharp trouser suit?I was asked to write an article on this subject by one of the young people I coach regularly, as she was confused on the issue of how she should dress for work. She is a believer in Dress for
Is ‘Dress for Success’ Still Applicable in Today’s Business? Read More »
The IT Industry has come along way since its professionals were consigned to the basement floors in the domain of flashing lights and large reel-to-reel tapes. IT is Business. IT is the core of commerce. IT has a seat at the Executive table . So what’s to like about the industry recently emerged from a
5 Reasons Why To Love The IT Industry, and 5 Reasons To Hate It Read More »
The Industrialization of IT and ITIL demands IT Leaders to make processes robust and repeatable, and an essential part of this transformation is ensuring that information is exchanged consistently in the right way using the right forms and templates. But so many IT organizations I meet reinvent the wheel – they make their own forms
Save Time and Energy! (with IT Templates) Read More »
I surveyed a number of Technical Professionals on the subject of going around their boss. The results were surprising.Going around your boss is generally frowned upon – it’s ethics are questionable. Ethics and business don’t always go together, even if you think they should. The truth is, an organization is comprised of humans with their
The Shocking Truth of Bypassing Your Boss Read More »
To continue the recent thread of posts about BPM, we’re going to look at the Real Tough Sell of it. BPM is about Evolution, not Revolution: The Western world is addicted to the Quick Fix, Instant Gratification and Revolution. High Impact is expected. BPM follows the concept of Kaizen (a Japanese philosophy) where the organization
Why BPM is a Real Tough Sell to Your Boss Read More »
Is your IT Ops team productive and always on top of their game? No? Then maybe it’s their morale that needs a boost. There are some simple, low-cost and very effective things that can be done to improve this, and you’ll see that morale and productivity is boosted: Invest in information boards:Using the traditional dot-matrix
10 Top Tips That Will Improve Morale in the IT Ops department Read More »
To continue the theme (see Are you a Technical Professional? and Are you a Geek?), you can find out if you’re a IT Leader in the making by asking yourself if you exhibit three or more of the behaviors below: You find yourself thinking with pragmatism and not with perfectionism You wish COBOL.NET was THE language of choice,
Are you a Budding IT Exec? How to find out Read More »
We’re in recession – it’s a golden opportunity! If you are master in your craft industry then don’t wait for the recession to end, now is the time to move. This advice might seem counter-intuitive because in hard times it’s natural to want to feel secure in your organization, and certainly take advantage of any severance
URGENT: Now Is The Time To Move Jobs If You Think You Are S**t Hot! Read More »
I am not going to take credit for all of this post… I was inspired by Esther Schindler ‘s article on CIO.COM titled ‘Managing and Motivating Developers: Tips for Management Cluefulness .’ The subject is close to my heart as over the last 8 years I’ve been doing exactly that. I’d also say that Esther’s
How IT Leaders Can Get The Most Out Of Developers Read More »
For a bit of fun I posted some behaviors exhibited by people who classify themselves as geeks, and invited you to see how you compared. So this time it’s a list of behaviors exhibited by Technical Professionals – techies who take themselves a bit more seriously.If you say Yes to more than 3 of these
Are you a Technical Professional? How to find out Read More »
Example: With a worldwide energy crisis in full effect, IT is coming under pressure to be more socially responsible: what is your response ?The $64,000 question is how responsible you feel towards the social implications of energy consumption? Do you care if data centers are burning more energy in a day than a town does?
Technical Professionals acting on Social Responsibility Read More »
If you’re an aspiring CIO or CTO then you have to keep on your game CONSTANTLY . But it isn’t always about being clever. It’s about doing a number of simple things well, and continuously. I post a number of articles about career progression from the shop floor to the board room table, and below
10 More Tips for Aspiring Execs… Read More »
