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Get Out of IT
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Chapter Charters:
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Chapter One: The Best You Can Be Is Not Enough
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Here is a true story of an IT Director of a $50+ million company that chooses to be the best "him" he can be every morning when he wakes up. He is frustrated that the business leadership doesn't see him as a true leader in the company. The business leaders want/need him to be a true leader in the company. This type of leadership however, requires more than having the IT infrastructure up and running with happy end-users. Business Leadership wants to be inspired by someone in IT on how they will help drive their strategy and make happy business customers! The author begins to help the IT Director see that being the best him in his employer's industry is the answer!
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Chapter Two: Purpose
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This chapter shows that those in IT that typically have the best quality of life; respect and opportunity don't see themselves as in IT at all. One can be happy…but to be whole it helps to understand the human need purpose that their employer serves. This chapter also shows research that more than half don't see this bigger picture. Here are factual illustrations and practical advice to help get the reader there.
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Chapter Three: The Little i, Big I Scale
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Where are you on this scale? Here the author introduces a scale that all in IT exist somewhere upon. The little i are those who choose to be them in IT, The Big I are those that choose to be the best them in their employer's industry. The reader is chartered with identifying where they might be on this scale. Secondly, why moving towards a Big I is "for" them, not "to" them.
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Chapter Four: Moving in the Right Direction
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Here are some practical exercises that can help the reader (or those they mentor) move in the right direction. It is a self-help guide to understand their employer's purpose, strategy and competitive landscape. If the business value of IT is in direct proportion to its alignment to strategy, then let's study these key components.
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Chapter Five: Play to Win vs. Play Not to Lose
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Now that you understand your employer's purpose, strategy and competitive landscape, what are you going to do about it? Play to Win prompts innovation that adds real business value. But first you have to stop "playing not to lose", which focuses solely on cost reduction, risk mitigation and exists in a fear of failure state. In this chapter there are assignments to innovate ways to drive better customer experience, customer loyalty and capture market share.
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Chapter Six: Leading ITOs
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In this chapter the author talks about key components of great IT Organizations (ITOs). Value focus, sourcing strategies, revenue generation within IT, asset management, marketing of successes, financial/performance measurement, leadership and culture are discussed with specific examples cited.
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Chapter Seven: The Best Competitive Advantage
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IT solutions by themselves do not yield long term competitive advantage. All in IT however, can help create the one sustainable competitive advantage; agility. Here we talk about how companies and IT organizations are fostering cultures of innovation and agility. Being able to respond to change and get products to market faster than the competition is the only sustainable competitive advantage.
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Closing remarks:
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This short, easy to read book ends with some basic challenges that should help the reader and those they mentor get to a better place in life and career. It is a great assignment or group clinic for anyone within an IT organization.
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