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Welcome to this week's
Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter
May 23, 2004 - #45
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This week's article
Simple process for developing IT policies and procedures
Includes free download
Developing policies and procedures does not have to be a complex or difficult effort. Follow the quick guide included in my Practical IT Policies and Procedures book and you will be on your way.
This article also includes a free download link for a
PC Software Standards Policy.
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MDE News
IT Manager Institute held at Belmont University
Participants from around the country joined me at the third IT Manager Institute held at Belmont University last week in Nashville, TN. This was the most diverse group so far. Here are a few interesting things about the participants:
- Average length of management experience was 9 years
- Companies ranked in size from $8 million to $19 billion in revenue
- All but one student flew or drove in from outside the middle Tennessee area
- Industries represented included healthcare, mortgage loans, equipment sales and
distribution, Army Corps of Engineers, retail, publishing, and background screening.
- Management responsibilities varied with experience in infrastructure, software development,
and senior IT management.
Each participant is now a member of my IT Manager Round Table and eligible for extra benefits from our company. Click here to learn more about the Institute.
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MDE / Belmont University's fall IT Management Education Schedule announced
Belmont University and I have set our fall training schedule. Highlights of the program include:
- New IT Manager Boot Camp (Nov. 1-3) a 3-day quick start program for new IT managers and those who want to be
- IT Manager Institute (Oct. 18-22) MDE's "flagship" management program with all the extra's NEW PRICE
- IT Due Diligence & Assimilation (Aug 17-18) The most comprehensive process and tools in the industry
- IT Manager Certification Program Ten, 1-day classes that include Belmont University and MDE's IT Management
Certification (ITMC) when completed and you have passed the 5-part exam. An 80-hour program scheduled in 2-day
sessions to accommodate those who travel. Any class may be taken individually for selective education.
These programs make up one of the most comprehensive IT manager curriculums in the industry and have attracted students from around the world. Detailed class information is available at: www.mde.net/schedule
Practical Tips Newsletter subscribers receive a 20% discount by using the discount code newsletter when registering.
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Click on the image to see the Table of Contents and tools included, and come back here to order at the special price of $169.00
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Special of the month:
Technology Cost Saving Strategies
for only $169.00 (1/3 off for May 2004 only).
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All my books and services are described at www.mde.net .
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50 specific strategies to save your company thousands of dollars.
Offer ends May 31, 2004.
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100% Money Back Guarantee
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Simple process for developing IT policies and procedures
Do you need to develop policies and procedures for your company? How do you know? Is it because someone suggested you need them, and if so, is there a tangible reason they are needed in your company?
I don't develop new policies and procedures unless they will specifically provide some benefit that I want to achieve. I would rather spend time and energy on doing something else that provides value than to develop a bunch of policies that are just there "for show".
Provided below are excerpts from my latest book, Practical IT Policies & Procedures that will give you a quick guide in developing new policies.
Click here to download the free sample policy - PC Software Standards Policy
Let's get started. In my books, you will find that I don't waste a lot of time. My belief is that if you can get your message across in 40 pages versus 240, then you should save the paper and the time required to read all the extra "stuff".
Step 1 - List areas of risk
Take a shot at listing things that can cause a company risk. Here are just a few to get you started thinking:
Software licensure compliance
Employee safety issues
Security
Data backup and recovery
Illegal access to company systems
Infringing on privacy
State and federal regulatory issues
Email spam
System viruses
Company confidential information
Losing clients
Systems downtime
Inappropriate use of company assets (equipment, facilities, money, etc.)
One company may consider all of these issues worth the time to develop formal policies and procedures while a similar company of comparable size and in the same industry may consider just a few, or none, worthwhile for its company.
I will keep emphasizing that what's important and useful for one company may be very different from another. That's the "practical" application of reviewing your situation and deciding for yourself what's important for your company.
Step 2 - List desired behavior or processes you want
List the processes you want and the behavior that's important for a smooth running operation. Don't worry about whether it has policy and procedure ramifications; we will discuss that part later. For now, simply start listing things that are important in the operation of your company that you truly think make you more productive or better at what you do.
Here is a quick list of items to consider:
Programming change requests
Vacation and time off requests
Purchase authority and approval
Equipment change requests
Travel expense management
Employee performance planning and reviews
New employee orientation and quick start guidelines
IT escalation steps to resolve downtime issues
Use of company cell phones
Step 3 - Assign a "relative importance factor"
Step 3 is to assign a relative weight of importance to each risk issue or desired behavior so you can decide on whether you want to put in a formal policy and procedure to address the issue.
This step is somewhat subjective. Actually, it's very subjective and reinforces what I have been saying. It's "your" company and the determination of whether a risk issue is important or potentially tangible enough to cause you to decide to develop a formal policy and procedure is up to you.
It's the same as buying life insurance. Some of us prefer to have a lot while others go with much less. Who is right or wrong? I'm not so sure there is one person more right than the other; everyone's situation is different. Companies are all unique as well.
Once you identify the policies and procedures that are important enough to develop formal documentation for in your company, you can determine how to develop them.
Step 4 - Define the list of policies and procedures you need
Identify a specific policy and procedure that addresses the risk or behavior issues you have deemed to be of major importance in Step 3.
For example, if your company is having difficulty in managing travel expenses, you may decide to develop and implement a formal Travel Expense Guidelines policy.
Step 5 - Prioritize your list of policies and procedures
Spend time on your most important policies and procedures first. One way to determine importance is to develop an estimated dollar value for the risk exposure or estimate the value of improving productivity or reducing costs by implementing a policy to address a specific issue you have identified to be important.
The point is that you want to focus your priorities on the issues that give you the best return on your time investment as possible.
Step 6 - Determine how you will develop your policies and procedures
There are essentially three ways to approach this task:
Write them yourself.
Obtain copies from a company in your industry to use as a starting point.
Research sources for examples to provide a starting point.
It's important to remember one of the comments made earlier. You must take full responsibility for the content of any policy or procedure you develop. It is simply not enough to take one that addresses for example a Company Travel Expense Policy from a company and use it "as is".
Every company has unique situations and whenever you decide to develop a policy or procedure, you need to consider your unique issues. Only you and others in your company can take the responsibility for the policies and procedures you implement.
Step 7 - Develop and implement your policies and procedures
There are three important aspects from this point forward.
Assign responsibility for writing each policy and procedure with deadlines, objectives, and important points that should be included.
Define your review process: who, how, when, review criteria, etc.
Define your implementation or "roll-out" process. This will probably be different for different policies and procedures. More will be discussed in a later chapter when we discuss Implementation Tips.
Step 8 - Monitor and enforce your guidelines
It really doesn't do a lot of good if you document what you want to happen but don't enforce your new guidelines. In fact, it can do more harm than good if employees of the company perceive your company is not really serious. You want to be certain that if you decide to develop a formal guideline and introduce it to the company that the company is prepared to back up what it says.
This is a quick guideline that I've used in past management positions and can get you started. More is discussed in the book and it includes the free download plus 22 more sample policies that can help you develop your new policies quickly.
Learn more about Practical IT Policies & Procedures
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Product Endorsement from Mike
How to Get Your Dream Job in 30 Days or Less by Don Monteith
If you are between companies or know someone who is, take a look at Don Monteith's book, How to Get Your Dream Job in 30 Days or Less. Don has given me the ability to offer the book at a $30 discount off the normal $97.00 price. At the bottom of his offer page, enter the code "specialoffer" (one word and no quotation marks) and you will be taken to a special discount page.
Don includes a 100% Money Back Guarantee so there is no risk. I've read the material and found some excellent thought provoking tips from a very knowledgeable source. I thought I knew a lot about networking and positioning myself for a new career opportunity before I read the book, but I learned several new things that are helpful if you are between companies. Don owned and operated a successful recruiting and job placement service for many years before selling the business to retire and help others by making his knowledge available through the Internet.
He gives you a process and step by step system just as I do in my IT management works to help you identify and go after your "dream job".
Click here to learn more.
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Send Practical IT Manager Tips to your friends.
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