Management Toolkit

Tackling today's five most dangerous IT management trends

Tags:
Trends,
IT Management

Joey Smith Tech Republic

Published: 14 Aug 2006 12:55 BST

IT managers who lose their jobs usually do so not because of a lack of technical skills, but because of deficits in management, leadership and strategy skills. This article will look at certain trends that could spell the end for an IT manager's career unless he or she is prepared to head them off at the pass.

Trend one: IT and IT-management outsourcing
As you may know, outsourcing IT tasks such as backups, network monitoring, security and hosting are growing trends. However, don't be deluded into thinking that IT management can't be outsourced. There are people out there using stealth tactics to ride this particular trend right to the office of your president, chief financial officer and/or chief executive. They're boasting cost savings and are working ferociously to eliminate you. What can be done about it?

1) Go with the flow and do what's best for the business. You must always do what is best for the business. In doing so, you will stand out as a strategic player and ultimately achieve what no outsourced vendor can accomplish. Since you have to provide value, doing what's best for the business will allow you to become a partner instead of a line item on the profit-and-loss sheet.

2) Get out of tactical mode and into strategic mode. Who wins a fight — a fighter with great technique or a fighter with great strategy? The fighter with a great strategy will win every time. Tactics are just tasks or a small part of a larger plan. If you're performing the tasks without the plan, you aren't really accomplishing anything. A strategy, on the other hand, is doing the right things in order to accomplish an objective or goal. Start doing the right things right and you'll remain valuable to your organisation.

Trend two: IT auditing
In the name of layoffs, cutting costs, aligning IT, mergers, and so on, there are more and more IT audits taking place. There's nothing wrong with this growing trend, but if you're not prepared for it, it can lead to trouble. Here's what to do:

1) Facilitate it, don't fight it. The first thing to do if an audit is announced is to take ownership of the project. Don't gripe about it. If you do, upper management will feel as though you're just looking out for your best interests or that you're trying to hide something. I've worked with IT managers who've lost their jobs fighting an audit even thought I counselled them not to do so. Go with the flow and influence the auditor by showing him or her that you are on board and ready to step up as a strategic player.

2) Do a preliminary audit first. Share your findings, this will influence the audit. As soon as you learn of an audit, start your own right away. As a matter of fact, you should be doing this as an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) anyway. With a complete audit, you can just hand over your findings to the auditor so he can see what a great job you're doing and that you're on top of all the issues. In turn, the auditor will tell your boss how valuable you are to the business.

Trend three: Company-wide layoffs
Of all the companies I have worked with so far this year, each and every one has had some sort of layoff. You may not always be successful in staving off a layoff, but these tips may help.

1) Keep a diary of your wins. Each and every time you add value to the company, you should document it right away in this journal. If you receive kudos from other managers or departments, you need to put it in this journal. In the case of a layoff, you'll have this journal ready to show why laying you off would be a major mistake. You see, it's not that you deserve to be laid off in the first place; it's that there is no documentation for the decision to be made otherwise. In case you get laid off anyway, you'll have this journal to show to your new employer!

2) Become a strategic partner during the down times and assist management. If you hear of layoffs, and IT is usually the first to know about it, step up to the plate, become a partner and make recommendations. Help management save money. Be the first to let go of a piece of your budget in order to assist the company as a whole.

3) Make yourself invaluable to the business. This goes without saying, but if you become a valuable asset to your organisation, you won't be in the layoff category. By following each of these tips, you'll do just that.

Trend four: Mergers and acquisitions
Again, become a partner in the process. Like in the previous trends, you must act first. Don't wait until it's too late. Volunteer to help…