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Hello and welcome to this week's
Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter.
This week's article
2 + 2 = 5
This week's article will give you a "sneak peek" of our new book that will be released next week, IT Management Models. There are seventy-two models in the book that are organized into six management disciplines to give the reader a unique and fun way of learning technology management concepts.
This model, 2 + 2 = 5, is about leveraging your efforts. There are considerable opportunities in our technology world to leverage things, and we should be taking advantage of them all the time.
IT Management Models has taken me three years to develop and may be my best work yet. It is the 14th book to be released since starting MDE in 2000. This book was developed because I wanted to create a fresh and unique approach to learning IT management concepts and something anyone can use.
The best part - Practical Tips subscribers will be offered a significant discount when IT Management Models is announced next Tuesday.
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MDE News
Belmont University and MDE launch IT manager certification program
The Information Technology Business Management Certification program is the latest offering for those seeking to improve their IT management skills. The program is a joint venture between Belmont University and MDE Enterprises.
The partnership between the two organizations is important in that Belmont validates the educational value of the program while MDE validates the real world operational management value.
To gain this one of a kind certification, you must attend ten of thirteen 1-day classes and pass a 5-part exam. Eight of the classes are required and you pick two additional classes from five optional topics.
The program addresses all key areas you need to manage an IT organization effectively and is based on Mike Sisco's practical IT Manager Development Series and his proprietary IT Management Process. Mike's approach is to provide the students with practical insight on managing technology resources effectively and includes real world tools and examples to help you implement each concept quickly.
More information is available at www.mde.net/schedule .
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Special of the month:
Need to learn how to assess a company's technology?
Need to develop an IT plan that's totally in sync with business needs?
Attend this 2-day class and you will have the process and the tools to do both !!
The first step in assuming responsibility for any IT organization is to be able to assess the situation. Ability to assess technology from a business perspective is a prerequisite for becoming an effective CIO or CTO. It is what positions you in any management role to develop a strategy and plans that are in sync with your company's needs.
Sign up for the most comprehensive IT assessment program in the industry by June 30 and receive a 25% discount.
This offer is only available to Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter subscribers.
IT Due Diligence and Assimilation is a 2-day class that teaches my proprietary technology assessment and planning process. It includes all the tools I developed and actually use to assess virtually any technology in any industry.
My process and tools were developed over the course of conducting more than 40 acquisitions. In each of these situations it was imperative for me to have a thorough understanding of the "to be acquired" company's technology, , ,because once the merger was completed the technology was to be my responsibility.
The process and tools focus on the business side of understanding the technology, not the technical part. The business needs you to identify needs, issues, risks and opportunities. Once you know what they are, you need an action plan. This two-part program walks you through an assessment from start to finish and shows you exactly how to determine where the real priorities are and how to put a transition or game plan into effect quickly, , , and a plant that is in sync with company needs.
This process will work for any IT organization, whether your responsibility is only for the infrastructure or you have CIO responsibility for all the technology in your company. Learn how to look at any technology situation as a senior technology executive looks at it to elevate your perspective and career opportunities.
Interested?
Take a look at www.mde.net/duediligence for more information, but enroll from this page to get your 25% discount.
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2 + 2 = 5
Description:
The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts.
Leverage is very important in managing any operation. It is especially true in technology. There are many scenarios in IT where you can do things to get more than the sum of the parts.
For example, working on several programming requests that affect the same program often buys you a productivity boost. Likewise, taking the best of two companies' technologies can make a merger of the two companies a much more powerful company than either might have become on their own.
Key points:
Combining two assets can produce results greater than their sums
Look for complimentary elements
Team member differences can be powerful assets
Look for "win-win's" and leverage opportunities
Category:
IT Assessment
x IT Strategy & Planning
IT Project Management and Processes
x IT Organization and Staff
IT Financial Management
IT Measurements and Communication
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Discussion:
Opportunities abound in technology support to leverage situations. Think of the idea of adding "two plus two" and coming up with "five" versus "four".
As an IT manager, we should always look for leverage opportunities. It can be anything from combining two programming requests that affect the same program into one project to finding multiple skills needed for your staff in one new hire.
You might also find the opportunity to combine the technologies of an acquired company and your parent company into a technology strategy that is much more powerful than what you would have produced at either company. Such a combining of the positives of the two companies offers significant leverage for the two companies and possibly a significant competitive edge.
Combining two assets can produce results greater than their sums - To find these types of opportunities, you have to look for them. They exist in every corner and aspect of technology. Stay alert to possibilities and look for combinations of things that boost productivity.
Look for complimentary elements - If you need to take a physical inventory of all the technology assets in a company, you can ease the pain by collecting the information when one of your staff visits a remote office to do other work. Add the inventory task to his/her list of "to do's" and you will leverage your staff's time and productivity.
Team member differences can be powerful assets - Combining two complimentary, yet different sets of skilled employees on a project can give you significant advantage and a higher likelihood of project success. Taking advantage of people strengths and reducing the impact of their weaknesses is a management focus we must all have.
Look for "win-win's" and leverage opportunities - When doing things to correct a client satisfaction issue, add a little extra to the solution that goes a long way in showing the client your team is responsive to their needs. The "little extra's" can be powerful components to a solid client relationship that benefit both companies for years to come.
I look for leverage opportunities all the time. One of the best examples I've seen is when movie producers film one movie but have enough material to produce a sequel or complimentary film. When you think hard enough, you will find many opportunities in technology to get "five" from adding up "two plus two".
IT Management Models includes 72 models developed specifically for use in managing technology resources. The material is beneficial for IT managers, team leaders, project managers, and employees alike. Just under 200 pages, this publication is a quick read and provides examples that can be used in any number of technology situations.
Release date - June 22, 2004.
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Send Practical IT Manager Tips to your friends.
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