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Hello and welcome to this week's Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter
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I haven't published a newsletter in a couple of weeks. The reason is quite simple. I have been conducting an IT due diligence (assessment) to support a company's acquisition efforts. These projects are great fun to do, but they require most of my time for a couple of weeks.
MDE turned 4 years old on September 1st. That's a pretty important milestone for a company that has never had outside funding and got started in the midst of a very poor economy. You might say, "We have paid our dues."
Breaking away from my corporate CIO role in 2000 was a pretty big risk for my family and me, but we persevered and have established a consistent track record of providing some of the best practical material and tools to help IT managers in the industry. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do what I do.
We don't have the marketing clout of the bigger companies, but our name recognition gets stronger every day, , , much because you have chosen to tell others about my free newsletter, our IT Manager Development Series publications, and MDE's IT management training programs.
Our Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter goes to managers in 143 countries, and we have sold our books and tools in 79 countries to date. Forty percent of our sales continue to be from outside the US, a testimonial that our mission of "providing practical insight and tools that help IT managers of the world achieve more" is being achieved.
We have been working very hard on a few new initiatives, some of which are designed to give back to my readers and customers. We will be announcing these exciting programs in the near future so stay tuned. We have only touched the "tip of the iceberg" in terms of what we plan to deliver in the future to help you achieve more success.
This week's article
Develop a cooperative spirit in your company
In my recent due diligence project where I assessed a company's technology for a possible acquisition, I found something very special: an organization that has a very cooperative spirit culture. Read about what I found and my insight about what it takes to create cooperative spirit culture in a company. If you have ever worked in such an environment, then you already know how fun it can be and the positive things that can be accomplished.
Read the article below.
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Download a
Free Gift below
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MDE NEWS
MDE Enterprises is 4 years old !!
Happy Birthday to MDE, , , and me. Our company turned 4 years old on September 1, which just so happens to be my birthday as well. Our company is still quite young and I'm quite old - what a great dynamic.
I've never felt better about our business and the opportunities MDE is positioned for in the future.
Very soon, you will be hearing about exciting new products and services from me as I continue my quest of reaching as many IT managers of the world as I can in providing practical insight and tools that helps them achieve more success.
The first four years have been significant building years for my company, and the memorable stories are many that have lead me down the path of where we find ourselves.
To the point: MDE and Mike Sisco (actually one and the same) are very fortunate to be able to do what we do and to have the opportunities that are in front of us.
Here are just a few milestones of our company:
- Sept. 1, 2000 MDE Enterprises was created
- April 2001 Published MDE's first newsletter (You can still read it at www.mde.net/ezine .)
- June 2001 Sold our first full series of the IT Manager Development Series when only 2 books were finished
- October 2001 Wrote first article for TechRepublic.com (I've written over 300 IT management articles since)
- March 2002 Completed the 10th and final book of the IT Manager Development Series.
(102 people ordered the full series before it was completed - my Early Buyers)
- April 2002 Released the IT Manager ToolKit and gave it to all the Early Buyers
(Note: My 102 Early Buyers still receive 40% discount on all MDE products & services
It is my way of giving back to those who took a risk with me in the "early days" of MDE.)
- January 2003 Moved from Atlanta, GA to Columbia, TN - we are "back home" after 30 years.
- June 2003 Held 1st IT Manager Institute training program
- July 2003 Released Technology Cost Saving Strategies
- Dec 2003 Released Mike Sisco's IT Manager Articles Collection
- Jan 2004 Released Practical IT Policies and Procedures
- June 2004 Released IT Management Models
Today, we have over 5,000 newsletter subscribers in 143 countries. Not a huge newsletter list, but not bad when you consider that we really haven't done very much to push the growth of this group. I can remember not too long ago when it was just a few hundred subscribers.
The best part about our operation is that I get to talk with many of you from all over the world. Email makes it possible for me to be closer. I receive messages every day that include anything from a question about a resume to comments about a newsletter article. But, I guess one of the best motivators of all are when I receive positive comments about my books, tools, or free articles that help someone in their role as an IT manager. Managing technology resources is a real challenge, and it is very gratifying to know that my work is of small benefit to many of you.
Best of success. I truly look forward to the next year.
Mike Sisco
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Special of the month:
Our birthday gift to you - download free samples
That's right. To celebrate our company's 4th anniversary, we have put together a samples product that you may download with absolutely no obligation. More info is available on all MDE products at www.mde.net .
CONTENTS
Technology Cost Saving Strategies
Sample #1 - Telecom (data)
Sample #2 - Automate clerical processes
Tools excerpt - Strategies Tracking Checklist Tool
Practical IT Policies and Procedures
Sample #1 - Password security
Sample #2 - Internet Usage
IT Management Models
Sample #1 - Communication Circle
Sample #2 - Bite the Head of a Frog
Sample #3 - Play Your Position
Tools Excerpt - IT Assessment Models Guide
Mike Sisco's IT Manager Articles Collection
Sample #1 - Resolving Client Satisfaction Issues
Sample #2 - Empower Your Employees
IT Manager ToolKit
Sample #1 - New IT Employee Orientation Guide
Sample #2 - Employee Training Plan
Download and send it to your friends and counterparts.
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MDE News
Special note about the October-2004 IT Manager Institute
Have you been thinking about attending my IT Manager Institute? If so, the October program is the one to attend.
The price for the Institute will never be this low again. We have reduced the price as a special one-time incentive for our 4th Institute which coincides with our company becoming four years old. It's a significant milestone.
Take advantage of this offer to develop your skills for greater success and position your career for future growth.
Go to www.mde.net/training and www.mde.net/institute to learn more about the benefits of the IT Manager Institute. This is a unique program loaded with many, many extras.
Register now to attend the 4th IT Manager Institute - October 18-22, 2004
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A Mike Sisco Product Endorsement
TenStep Project Management Process
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I have known Tom Mochal, President and founder of TenStep, Inc. for about two years now. We discovered one another through our articles we had written for TechRepublic.com. At the time, it just so happened that we both lived outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
I have gotten to know Tom quite well and have found him to be an exceptional business person. His TenStep web site contains significant material and helpful tools for project managers and he now has reseller organizations in seven countries around the world.
The TenStep Project Management Process™ is a methodology for managing work as a project. TenStep provides the information necessary to successfully manage projects, including processes, procedures, techniques, best practices training and templates.
Take a look at the TenStep Project Management Process™ and other TenStep products and services at www.tenstep.com.
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Develop a cooperative spirit in your company
I just completed an IT due diligence project (a technology assessment) and I discovered something very special - a company with a tremendous "cooperative spirit". The culture in this company is focused on the client and everyone I talked to has a strong sense of client service and purpose in helping one another do the best job they can.
All too often, hard charging managers and senior technical people are competitive and allow this to become a weakness versus a strength. It's good to be competitive, but not when it prevents a sincere sense of being helpful to others in the company.
Winning is about the customer winning and not about your organization or team member winning. If the customer isn't successful, believe me when I say that we won't be successful as IT managers.
Your client may be an outside client or an internal employee or organization. Regardless of who it is, there are going to be challenges and pressures placed on your ability to support that client effectively. When these pressures arise, meet them head on with a positive and "cooperative" spirit.
Look for win-wins where everyone comes out of a difficult situation in a positive way. Certainly, the outcome may not be the optimal for you personally or your team, but when both parties win when confrontational issues arise, they start helping one another down the road.
If you have ever worked in a company with a cooperative spirit, you know just how wonderful it is. People helping one another during the good times and the tough times builds camaraderie like you can't believe. Approach your most difficult client in a sincere desire to help and drop the idea that you always have to win. This isn't easy to do - believe me, it is something difficult for me as I like winning and winning is a lot more fun than losing.
Work harder to help others and be a "giver" rather than a "taker". You will find that your successes become more consistent, and it is very difficult for clients or other managers in your company to create conflict with you when you are genuinely doing things that helps them.
It all starts with you as an IT manager. Don't expect your client to take the first step. If there is a bad relationship, it's up to you to fix it. You won't fix it by fighting and trying to get the upper hand so that you end up winning. You may win the battle but the real issue is to have a positive long term business relationship where everyone wins. We are the ones that must reach out.
The company's employees I just visited know why they exist. Their operation exists to help external clients do a better job through the technology and services being provided by the company. It is a culture that starts with senior management but is reinforced by every manager in the company. This doesn't mean there are no problems to deal with; they have their fair share to be sure. But the impressive thing is that they are focused on doing what's right by the client and taking the extra step to ensure the work gets done in quality manner. That means working together.
In every company there are organizations that have natural conflicts with one another as they do their job. In many cases, operational units need more than their IT organization can provide. Frustration builds and barriers are built between the organizations. As managers, we have to recognize these tendencies and prevent our organizations from working against one another. After all, it's not in the best interest of our company's client.
What can we do to create a cooperative culture ?
Be a "giver".
Develop employee performance plans and reward your people for behavior that "gives" rather than "takes".
Reach out to department managers that you are having conflict with. Develop a mutual respect for each other's role and work toward the common good of the client. Most of us are reasonable when we encounter genuine approaches from people trying to work together.
Lead by example. Your people will follow your lead. Be aware of the impact you have by your action, comments, and behavior.
Seek senior management's help in supporting activities that reinforce a cooperative spirit. They can mandate that everyone work together, but that won't make it happen. However, their proactive support and positive reinforcement can help make it a reality.
Realize that changing culture takes time. Be persistent and give the change time to happen.
Seek win-wins and realize that it's more important for your client to win the early issues as long as you both can win in the long run.
Help create a cooperative spirit in your organization to start with and extend it out to other departments in your company. Lead by example and coach your employees on the benefits of helping one another.
One of the expressions I have used a lot is, "We will all be successful together; none of us will be successful individually." Teamwork is built on cooperative spirit.
Help others every day and you will find that they will begin helping you become more successful than you believe possible. I can attest that in my personal life and business, the more I help others the more I seem to succeed.
Best of success !
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Click here
Send this Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter and a
free IT Management-101 ebook to your friends.
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