7
Habits of Highly Effective IT Departments
by Chris Geiser -
[email protected] - PC Solutions, Inc.
It's been 20 years since Dr. Stephen Covey published his
book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Today,
I will take a look at those habits and see how they apply to
IT Managers of 2010 and beyond.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Steven Covey writes that your life doesn't just happen.
Whether you know it or not, it is designed by you. Proactive
people recognize that they are responsible for the outcome
of their life. By contrast, reactive people are affected by
their physical environment, often blaming their circumstance
or even the weather for their mood and behavior.
Reactive IT Departments are Easy to Spot Walk into an office and you might immediately see the tell-tale signs of a reactive IT department. It's the users. You can tell that they are concentrating, but it doesn't look like they are getting much work done (long stares at their screen, sighs, not much typing, asking co-workers if they are experiencing the same issue). Much of their finite energy is being applied, not to their work, but in trying to adapt their way of working to suit the constraints of their IT environment. They've taken their issues up to their reactive IT Manager who usually cites all of the system and budget constraints that prevent him/her from fulfilling the users' request.
By contrast, Successful IT Managers are always looking for new ways to accommodate and even anticipate their users' needs. They spend time developing monitoring sets so they can be notified of potential system degradations. They do regular maintenance on their network. Most importantly, when talking with their users, they use proactive language like, "We can, I will, etc . . . " to convey what next steps they are intent on taking.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Stephen Covey writes that all things are created twice.
First, there is the mental creation, the envisioning of what
will be created. Then, there is the physical creation which
follows the blueprint of the mental creation.
Highly-effective people do not just start in any old
direction, they think about what they wish to accomplish,
visualize themselves doing it, and then embark.
Network Design is an Artistic Expression Successful IT Managers are always considering the interdependencies of their system resources as well as the aesthetics of their finished product. A well-designed network is not penny-wise, pound foolish. Successful IT Managers fight for the funds required to do it right, the first time. They build networks which can scale to add more applications, more users, and accommodate future opportunities for business automation.
Successful IT Managers also apply this habit when troubleshooting problems. All IT Managers will diagnose the problem and attempt to physically troubleshoot. Those IT Managers who begin with the end in mind, however, will also ask: "What was the root cause of this problem and how do I make sure the problem never recurs?" Successful IT Managers also understand that cleanliness is next to godliness in IT. They look at a chaotic server closet or a confusing software interface and visualize how they might make it more organized and user friendly. The finished product is emblematic of their personal values.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
Stephen Covey writes that Habit 3: Put First Things First is
where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It's being proactive,
sensing where action is needed to stay in compliance with
one's own values, then envisioning the desired outcome, and
finally setting out to achieve it.
Prioritize This, Now! One would be hard pressed to find an IT Manager that does not feel overextended. Successful IT departments are in agreement with their customers/users about the IT department's priorities. The most successful IT Managers will write these common goals down and communicate with their customers/users that, when their workload exceeds their available time, that they will put first things first. This prioritization of services is often embodied in the form of a Service Level Agreement (SLA), where both the consumer of IT services and the manager/provider of IT services detail which services/users/initiatives take priority. A computer environment of any size must also have a service ticket tracking system from which the IT Manager can gather and quickly sort through the backlog of service tickets and determine priority.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Stephen Covey writes that most of us base our self-worth on
comparisons and competition. He challenges the theory that
for one to win, someone else has to lose. He does not
believe life is a zero sum game. Instead, he encourages the
development of Habit 4 (Win-Win), one where people see life
as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one.
Smoke and Mirrors The underworking of many corporate IT departments is nothing more than black magic to most users. It may just be human nature, but it seems the more problems the computer network has, the more resources (cash for hardware, software, IT staff, and consulting hours) many businesses are willing to spend. Successful IT Managers must be brave enough to go for the Win-Win with their customers/users. They must be confident in their ability to deliver a stable and extensible platform from which their users may conduct their business. They must be brave enough to ask to be rewarded for their success in doing so.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Stephen Covey writes that communication is the most
important skill in life. We spend much of our life learning
how to read, write, and speak, and so little time learning
how to listen. Most people, so worried that their greatest
worth to the conversation is in clearly stating their own
point, lose the ability to truly hear the meaning behind
their conversationalist's message.
Have you tried rebooting? Efficiency and immediacy are placed above all else in the world of IT support. It's often challenging for IT Managers to sit back and actively listen to their customer/user describe their problem without interrupting. The end user usually wishes to convey their trouble and perhaps explain how it impacts their ability to work. IT Managers who have mastered Habit 3: (Putting First Things First) can trust that they've prioritized according to the organization's shared values, and should feel relaxed in giving this user their undivided attention. IT is a customer-centric business. Regardless of their technical aptitude, IT Managers who listen to their customers without interrupting frequently win their users' admiration.
Habit 6: Synergize
Steven Covey writes that "two heads are better than one."
Synergizing requires an open mind and a willingness to
cooperate. Together, they can produce far better results
than either could alone.
Open-Minded Need Not Apply Habit 6: (Synergize) is a tough one for the small and mid-sized IT community to master. IT Managers are notorious for only promoting the technologies which they currently understand (or are already intent on supporting in the near future). Fearing uncertainty, most financial managers have implicitly instructed their IT Managers to stay the course with their current systems.
Of the 7 Habits, mastery of Synergy may be the most consequential for the 2010 IT department. Successful IT Managers need to stay open-minded and engage their end users in the planning of new IT services or risk being sidestepped altogether. Just consider how much influence end users have gained in recent years in the selection of the technology they use to do their job(s).
| € | What percentage of end users consults their IT department before purchasing their preferred brand of smart phone? The users who show up at the IT Manager's door sporting the latest handheld are probably saying something about how open-minded and willing to synergize they perceive their IT Manager is. |
| € | In a more extreme example, entire departments, sometimes as result of a standoff with their IT department, circumvent the network altogether. They contract with their preferred application provider to host their application. While the "cloud" is certainly the most cost-effective home for some of today's applications, when departments go it alone (without IT) the long-term value of the application often suffers. This is not to say that those end users selected an inferior application. Rather, to say that end users could not have foresaw many of the data integration and data security issues with which the IT department was already so familiar. These issues, while usually brushed under the rug (post implementation), are productivity killers expressed in the form of duplicate data entry, unintelligible reporting, and departmental isolation. |
To avoid these problems, IT must demonstrate their open-mindedness about different technology offerings and support platforms. Doing so will endear end users to their IT Manager and allow IT to be the glue that holds all other company departments together.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Steven Covey writes that sharpening the saw means preserving
and enhancing the great asset you have - you. It requires
looking after your physical, social/emotional, mental and
spiritual self.
Sharpening the Saw in the IT Department is not just taking the weekend off to play 36 hours of StarCraft II. It's about eating right, not taking too many overnight projects in any given month and taking the kind of vacation that doesn't require cell phone reception and a carry-on laptop. It's also about professional development, networking with peers, and building relationships. Striking the right work/life balance ensures that Successful IT Managers will be refreshed, pleasant, and more capable of handling the vigorous challenges of their beloved vocation.