MDE News
IT Manager Development Institute dates set
The culmination of over two years effort is becoming a reality with the introduction of my IT Manager Development Institute. The mission of MDE has always been focused on helping others improve their IT management capabilities in order to achieve more.

The Institute is unlike most training programs. It has been developed from its conception to provide the support and structure that will ensure you use the information when you leave the class and actually do things to make a difference in your IT management role.

Practical Technology Tips Newsletter subscribers receive a 20% discount in the class by signing up early. The class is limited to 20 people and is guaranteed to take you to new levels of success. Every participant receives a customized 30-day Action Plan with follow-up support from me and 90 days of free mentoring and coaching to ensure you have the support you need to achieve more.

Learn more

Belmont University endorses MDE's IT Manager Development Institute

Belmont University, one of the top graduate business schools in the South has endorsed my IT Manager Development Institute. MDE Enterprises has entered into a joint venture with Belmont University in working together to assess the total needs of the IT manager/professional for the middle Tennessee region business community and beyond. In addition, a series of 1-day classes is planned to target specifically the IT Manager community that helps them achieve higher levels of success. The first class, "Conducting an effective IT assessment" is being scheduled for late May on a Belmont campus facility.

In discussing the Belmont and MDE affiliation, Cynthia McLane, Director of IT and Head of Belmont University's Technology Learning Cooperative stated, "I think it will be very beneficial to partner with MDE as we strive to provide high quality education to the professional IT Manager in our region. Mr. Sisco's practical approach to managing technology resources is an excellent fit for our needs and his ability to integrate real world management tools into his classes adds immediate value for our students".

IT Tidbits Corner
US Online spending
Americans are getting more comfortable in buying online as indicated by the following projections:

US online spending
Source: Jupiter Research

   2002      $41 billion
   2003        52 billion (est.)
   2007      105 billion (est.)

In 2003, that's a 26% increase and the $105 billion estimated in 2007 is 5% of all US spending.

Bottom line:  If you do not have an Internet sales strategy, you need to be developing one or you're going to miss out on the explosive opportunity that goes with this growth in online spending.

Nashville's PMI Chapter commissions MDE class on "Managing an effective IT Due Diligence Project"
The PMI chapter of Nashville has commissioned me to teach a 2-day class on how to manage an IT due diligence project effectively. Class dates are not set yet but are planned to be in early June. I have conducted more than 35 IT due diligence and assimilation planning projects to support company acquisitions and have developed a concise process and set of tools that will be explained to class members. My book, Acquisition: IT Due Diligence has been sold to managers all over the world and provides the basis for the class. In it, I explain what to do, how to go about it, and provide plenty of tools and examples to help you conduct an effective IT assessment.

Click here if you are interested in learning more about the book.   

IT Management Models
Lines of fire
One of the management models I've used plenty comes from my days in the Marine Corps. It has significant application to managing an IT organization and maintaining your staff member's focus.

In the graphic below, you see two sets of Marine riflemen positioned with their range of fire set for them. One of these teams is by far more effective in a real "fire fight".

Can you guess which one and why?

Practical IT Manager Tips 
Education is key, even for the IT Manager
Knowledge is power and positions you to achieve greater levels of success. Over the years, I've watched the light bulb go on for an IT manager I was coaching on a particular  management issue. I'm sure that my mentors saw the same effect with me.

Managing effectively at a high level is something most of us can do if we know what to do and how to go about it.  Management techniques and processes can be learned just as a programmer learns how to incorporate a new routine of code into his coding arsenal.

I've seen other managers look amazed at the fact that I can submit an IT budget for a large organization in record time and that I never fail to achieve my operating budget.

I've seen employees light up by being part of a successful and motivated organization while others on the outside were looking in wishing they were part of it.

These things are easy when you know what to do and how to go about it. I didn't invent all of these tips and techniques but I've done one of the best jobs in the industry in packaging them in a set of ten books for my IT Manager Development Series .

I remember learning how to install a new mini-computer system with business application software for a new IBM customer. It didn't take me long to incorporate a systems installation project template that I could use for every new installation. All I had to do was identify the responsible person for each task, put in dates for the tasks to be completed, add a few new tasks and it was ready to go.

This simple process saved me countless hours of work, organized each project, and gave the client a tremendous feeling of security because of the specifics all laid out and the confidence I had in knowing my projects worked. And this was well before structured project management programs came into vogue.

I certainly didn't invent the new installation project plan IBM taught me, but I learned quickly how to use and improve it to boost my productivity and to ensure we accomplished the mission.  I consider it the key to why I successfully installed 13 systems that year and received an IBM Regional Manager's Award. Knowledge truly helps you succeed.

The reason I put the IT Manager Development Series and IT Manager ToolKit together was to extend my reach to IT managers all over the world. To date the materials have been sold in 52 countries with excellent reviews and feedback.

If you haven't  purchased a copy, you owe it to yourself and your career to take a look before the price is increased. Practical insight that is guaranteed to help you achieve more or your money back.

Take a closer look.

At first glance it looks like the left group has a very organized and efficient approach that covers the whole field. It actually does until one Marine stops to reload or gets taken out of action. Then, there is a gap that can destroy the entire team.

On the other hand, the group to the right looks like they are all over the place. The fact is that this setup has much more field coverage because of the overlap in one another's fire lanes. When one Marine reloads or goes out, there continues to be more of the field covered by the other five Marine's fire lanes.

Managing an IT staff is similar. I've seen too many organizations operate inefficiently because people are running all over the place trying to react to today's latest crisis. When I encounter such a group, one of the first things I do after assessing the needs of the business is to establish a "field of fire" or specific responsibility area for each individual.

When you have staff jumping through hoops to take care of business, it's a good sign in that it shows that they care. Once you get them focused with specific areas of responsibility, coach them so they stay in their position and take care of "their job" and count on the rest of the team to take care of theirs.

We wish the men and women of the Armed services God speed during these difficult times.

"War Story" Lessons
Raised floor effect
In the late seventies I was a young Systems Engineer for IBM. We had just sold a Time and Attendance system to a large hospital in Mississippi that I was to install. The Sales Rep took me out to the hospital to introduce me to the CIO and for me to do my preliminary assessment work to start planning the project.

As we walked through the corridors of the hospital on our way to the CIO's office, we passed a door with a concrete ramp leading up to it. The door had a sign that said: 

Letters from the Field
"We have a new CIO and he wants new cost justification for all existing projects. What is this all about?"
I've been that new CIO before and I've done exactly the same thing  -  asked for the cost justification of all existing projects as well as planned projects. The reasoning is pretty simple:

   1.  Is there a cost justification?
   2.  Does the project fit within the company's strategy?
   3.  Does the project have the appropriate priority?

I've seen IT organizations work very hard and spend thousands of dollars on projects that provide no value to the company. It's not that uncommon actually because a real problem exists when "technicians" develop IT strategies without doing their homework to ensure their initiatives are in sync with company needs.

Your new CIO's main obligation is to the company that hired him. His first priority has to be to assess the company's needs and to inspect every project that spends money or uses technology resources to determine if the IT organization is working on the "right" priorities.

Jump in and help him size it up quickly. It's not a personal issue so don't be too attached to your project even if you are almost done. For example, if you are working on a systems conversion for a subsidiary of the company and the parent company intends to sell that subsidiary, you are wasting time and valuable resources. Even if you are 60% complete, it may be the best solution to cancel the project for the company's best interest.

Product & Services Review
2-line 2462 Corded/Cordless Expandable Phone System
I recently moved back to my home state of Tennessee and had to set up a new home office for my business. One of the challenges I had in my Atlanta home office was the phone system.

The problem:  The challenge was that while I had two lines coming into the house (one personal and one for business), I only had one phone that had 2-line capability. So, if I got a business line call and I was in the kitchen, upstairs, or in the basement, I had to run to my office for the phone call or would miss it altogether.

The fix:  An AT&T 2462 expandable cordless phone system more than solved the problem. This system has a base unit for the incoming phone lines to connect to and up to eight wireless handsets that simply plug into electrical outlets wherever you want them in your house. I have four handsets and will probably buy two more over time but for now it solved my problem big time.

Now, I can retrieve a personal or business call from any of the four cordless handsets. The docking stations take up very little space and keep the phones fully charged all the time. Each incoming line can have separate rings so you know a business call from a personal call.

On a nice day I can even take one of the cordless handsets out to the back porch and work on my laptop without worrying about missing a call.

Setup was extremely easy and after two months of usage, I couldn't be happier with the new capabilities. It may have even prevented a broken leg from eliminating my need to scramble through the house to grab an incoming call.

They now had to rush an order and installation of a true raised floor to hide cables and wiring for the mainframe. When you walked up into the computer room, you saw a raised floor for the mainframe and system printers on top of the concrete "raised floor" for many years.

The lesson
Don't assume the other person knows what you are talking about. Not only did the customer lose money, the positive relationship he had with his vendor became strained. I never did hear why the former CIO of the hospital left and always wondered if it had something to do with this "war story" event. 

Another lesson is that you need to inspect events that are potentially costly and when someone is treading on new ground closely. It can save you time, money, and maybe even your reputation.

In this case, both the Sales Rep and the CIO missed the boat. Either one of them could have inspected the issue more closely and saved the cost and embarrassment of this blunder. But, if they had done that I wouldn't have this funny "war story" to share with you.

This is one lesson I was fortunate to learn at someone else's expense.

Special price discount for the full IT Manager Development Series through March 31 only.

If you have been thinking about ordering the full series, you have to take a look at this limited time offer. It is the best I have ever made and will only last through the end of the month. On April 1, the price of the full series will increase. Check out this special one time offer before the increase is effective.


Go to http://www.mde.net/special032003/index.html  to learn more.

Until next time, I hope the little bit of information provided in this newsletter is helpful to you. Feel free to pass it along to other IT managers you know. Work hard and take time to smell the roses along the way.

                                            Mike Sisco