SMARTER STRATEGIES

Four Tips: IT Managers Must Seek 'Essential Advantage'

Dennis McCafferty | Date: 12-16-10 | Comments

Are you too busy putting out "IT fires" to emerge as an organizational leader? Do you feel such professional-seasoning opportunities do not exist within your corporate structure? If so, perhaps you need to press the "refresh" button on your perspective, according to a new book.

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Four Tips: IT Managers Must Seek 'Essential Advantage'
Because IT managers are so often heavily invested in daily routines and "fires" that emerge within the enterprise, they may feel they're missing out on opportunities to grow as supervisors. They might conclude that their workplace environment is so overwhelming that they must physically leave the office to get outside leadership training. But that's not necessarily the case.

In the new book "The Essential Advantage: How to Win with a Capabilities-Driven Strategy" (Harvard Business Review Press/available this month), authors Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi reveal that managers can find ways to enhance "big-picture" skills without making out-of-office plans. How so? By obtaining a clear vision of larger-minded, organizational goals and tapping upon the departmental strengths to help the company "get there." Leinwand and Mainardi are partners/senior executives at Booz and Company, a New York-based global-management consulting firm. For more about "Essential Advantage," click here. Here are four tips for IT managers to take from the book:

● The IT manager who effectively cuts costs will always present essential advantage. The recent recessionary economy drove this point home, of course. But even in good times, reducing the price of day-to-day operations is always of interest to senior leadership. Arguably, the "IT folks" may be in the best position to do so. The most immediate, results-producing method here is to examine what are called "lights on" expenses. These amount to the bare minimum needed to keep operations running�power, computers, leasing costs, etc. These should represent no more than 10 to 20 percent of an organization's total expenses. Examine if this is the case within what your IT crew oversees and, if not, see where the fat can be trimmed. It could be as simple as launching a couple green IT initiatives. Or finding out whether there are redundant programs/apps being licensed within the enterprise, or uncovering orphan tech tools that sit within the system unused.

● Getting your star players on the same team also presents an advantage edge. Beyond saving on day-to-day expenses, an edge-seeking manager will get the most out of existing assets. This actually refers to people, as opposed to IT equipment. Every manager has star performers, especially within IT. Yet, have you determined whether your top employees understand your organization's greater purpose? If not, you should set aside time�maybe a lunch meeting outside the office�to discuss this with your most valued staffers. You may find that one thinks your company is headed down the path of being a consolidator. Another may feel the proper path is that of a leading pioneer, while a third may disagree, saying the company is best suited as a fast follower of trends. Let healthy debate ensue, but encourage your team to back up their conclusions with proven evidence or data. From there, allow a unified vision to be determined, and then empower your star players to emerge as those who can enable your department to achieve these goals.

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