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The IT Manager Institute from MDE
What's in it for you and why should you attend ?
Managing IT resources is one of the toughest management roles in any company and it is a management role unlike any other in your company. Technology is changing faster than any time in our history and companies are more dependent upon technology than ever before.
Do you experience any of the following situations?
- We always seem to be in react mode with more need than resource to get the work done.
- There are concerns that we are not focused on our company's priorities.
- I seem to always exceed my planned budget and don't know why.
- Our projects are not completed on time and usually exceed their budget.
- Client satisfaction is poor and I'm not sure how to improve it.
- Our IT organization is not appreciated and we have poor morale.
- My staff doesn't have a strong work ethic and doesn't respond to my direction.
- Senior management has unrealistic expectations of the IT Department.
- We need a strategy but no one is working on developing one.
- Our users ask for the most ridiculous things for programming enhancements.
- Users and clients do not think we are responsive.
- I am hearing the phrase "IT agenda" being used more and more.
- We are asked to cut expenses while everyone is asking for more technical support.
- I need management training but there isn't money in the budget to get it.
- I'm asked to cost justify projects but I don't know exactly what they want.
The list goes on and on. If some of these issues are what you are experiencing, you are in good company. The fact is that the vast majority of IT organizations and companies deal with these issues every day.
Supporting technology has never been more complex or more demanding than it is today.
A typical scenario of what I hear when conducting an IT assessment or a due diligence to support an acquisition goes something like this:
Senior management and Department Managers say,
"IT is spending more than we think they should be spending and we don't really know what it's for. IT does
not seem to be focused on our main priorities and isn't considered to be responsive, but we aren't sure if
they can or should be more responsive."
The CIO and IT staff tell me,
"We are overworked, under appreciated, and lack the resources and money to get the job done. Company
employees do not understand the technology they use and do not make the effort to make it work. Morale
is low because there is too much work and little appreciation for what we do."
You know what? Both groups are correct. That's right; in every situation I've encountered this scenario (and there have been many), I could have justified the position each group expressed to me.
The bottom line: a gap exists between IT and operations in most companies.
You may not want to believe it, but I see and hear about it every day.
Hopefully, you are fortunate to be in a situation where your IT organization has a great working relationship with the operational units of your company. If so, enjoy the experience and work hard to keep it that way because there is nothing more gratifying.
Most IT managers aren't so lucky and there are logical reasons that cause the "operational - IT gap" to exist in so many companies.
Strong managers are developed, not born. This is true for any type of manager, especially for IT managers. Operational managers, or typical managers have many places to get the help they need to develop their management skills. Senior managers and their counterparts got to their management position through the operations side and can help develop a young operational manager's skills.
The problem is,
"Where do you go to get help in developing your IT management skills?"
- Senior management can't help you.; they have never managed technology nor do they want to
- Operational managers can't help you for the same reason
- Colleges and universities don't normally provide IT management curriculums, and if they do it is often
based upon theory, not practical insight from actual IT management experience.
If you are lucky, there is a senior IT manager with solid management skills and experience who can mentor you. Unfortunately, you may not have one close by that can assist in developing your management skills.
The result is that too many young IT managers are simply left to learn the best they can. A few develop sound skills, but the odds are stacked against you. Even if you do succeed, it takes longer and the learning curve can be painful and frustrating. It is also expensive for the company to have to pay for your mistakes.
Most of the time your company may not even realize the cost incurred in allowing you to manage at a lower level. You may not realize it as well, but I can tell you that it is costing both you personally and your company thousands of dollars in missed opportunity and loss of productivity in your company.
I tried to find the tools and training to help young IT managers grow quicker for many years, but I just couldn't find anything that was practical and "netted out" what is needed to be a successful IT manager.
So, in late 2000 I left my corporate CIO role and started a company to focus on providing real world insight to help IT managers and CIO's improve their skills and achieve more success. MDE Enterprises has helped IT managers all over the world and we have sold our IT Manager Development Series books and tools in over 85 countries.
We continue to develop new and innovative products and services that make a positive difference in the lives and careers of IT managers everywhere.
Our mission at MDE is simple:
Provide practical insight and tools
that help IT managers of the world
achieve more success.
In 2003, the IT Manager Development Institute was finally delivered after two years of content development. It is MDE's flagship training program in our extensive training curriculum and was developed to achieve several things:
1. Provide the most comprehensive 5-day IT manager program in the industry.
2. Structure it to ensure participant success upon returning to your company.
3. Provide insight and tools to recoup your program fee quickly.
4. Begin building a network of IT manager peers that share ideas to help one another.
"MDE's IT Manager Development Institute was the best and most productive
educational experience I have ever attended. The seminar created a solid
foundation, with much take-home value, on which to build for higher levels of achievement.
Mike makes the program straightforward, interesting and enjoyable. The time and money
invested have paid back quickly with excellent returns."
Manuel Morales, Jr.,
President
San Juan, Puerto Rico
"The IT Manager Development Institute was invaluable for me. I feel that I grew
tremendously and now know much more about the right things to do as an IT Manager.
Thank you for such a wonderful experience."
Richard Wollenberger
IT Manager
St Louis, MO
"Mike, the Institute was well worth the time and expense to attend. The material you
provided will help me improve my IT organization upon returning to my country.
I will be recommending the program to my counterparts in other countries of Africa."
Edward Makwaia
IT Director
Tanzania, Africa
Every Institute adds more members to the IT Manager Round Table, a forum that will become an important resource to each new member over time. Membership is limited to participants in the IT Manager Institute and selected resources I add who bring value to the organization. One specific benefit is that members receive 50% discount on all MDE products and services from now on. It is just one of the ways we give back to those who make a commitment to their future by attending the Institute.
Twenty benefits in attending the Institute:
Knowledge empowers you to achieve more and here are a few specific examples of what you will learn and take away from the class.
1. Approach any new IT management responsibility effectively with my IT Management Process and get
your new team focused and producing positive results quickly.
2. Conduct a thorough IT assessment for any situation. This is the critical step in building an appropriate
technology strategy and focusing your initiatives on the right issues.
3. Quantify and prioritize your issues effectively for your company's greatest benefit.
4. Develop an IT strategy that provides real value to your company and is always in sync with your
company's goals and objectives.
5. Quantify your senior management and operational department needs and position yourself to deliver
every time.
6. Budget your IT organization quickly and easily and always achieve operational results that will be within
your budget .
7. Turn bad client situations into opportunities.
8. "Kick start" new projects and keep them on track.
9. Use the strategies I use in every company to find thousands and thousands of cost saving dollars. Every company has "low hanging fruit" and the Institute points out specifically where to look, how to find it, and how to go get it. Cost saving strategies are real "hero" material in any company.
10. Return to your company and identify enough cost savings within 90 days to more than pay your entire
week's expense and make your Institute participation an investment, not an expense.
11. Use a simple process to develop meaningful IT Policies and Procedures that helps your company and
implement them so they are adhered to. Take home 23 samples that you can implement immediately.
12. Motivate and empower your IT staff for excellent results like never before. I share examples and tips that
have worked for me for years that will do the same for you.
13. Focus your staff like a laser beam on the right issues that produce positive results for your company.
14. Develop cost effective staff training programs that increase capability and capacity of your team.
15. Use the "secrets" that cause people to stay with a company and develop strong employee loyalty beyond
what you have been able to do before.
16. Develop tailored performance plans that have targeted focus and "punch" for your staff in record time.
17. Implement a quality assurance program that improves your programming team's quality and
productivity.
18. Protect your company from financial liability by managing critically important technology assets.
19. Use "insider secrets" to manage your client's expectations and your organization is a hero every time.
20. Manage proactively and become viewed as a progressive, focused manager that produces results.
These are just a few of the specific benefits you receive when attending an IT Manager Institute. Knowledge is power and the Institute gives you specific knowledge of what to do and how to go about it to achieve more success in your IT management role than ever before.
The benefits above are backed up with a money back guarantee. Any participant not completely satisfied with the content of the class and the additional products and support provided upon completing the program will receive a full refund.
Over $3,500 of products and services
More than $3,500 worth of additional products and services are included with your attendance.
1. IT Manager Institute CD (Value - $874.00)
Includes my entire library of practical insight and tools to help you manage IT effectively:
A. IT Manager Development Series - the ten books written specifically to help IT managers
achieve more and the foundation for the Institute program.
- IT Management-101: Fundamentals to Achieve More
- Building a Strategic IT Plan
- Building a Successful IT Organization
- IT Asset Management
- IT Staff Motivation and Development
- IT Project Management: a practical approach
- Developing an IT Business Plan: budgeting made simple
- IT Due Diligence: conducting an effective IT assessment
- IT Assimilation: leveraging the merger
- What to Look For in a CIO
B. IT Manager ToolKit - 80 specific management tools developed to help me organize, monitor,
and manage my IT organizations. Includes tools for budgeting, strategy, assessment, project
management, employee motivation, employee management, career planning, and much more.
C. Technology Cost Saving Strategies - 50 cost saving strategies I have used to save
companies hundreds of thousands of dollars.
D. Practical IT Policies and Procedures - a process and 23 sample policies to help you develop
your own policies and procedures quickly.
E. IT Management Models - a unique and innovative product including over 60 management
models that are discussed in IT management terms and situations.
F. Building a Responsive Help Desk - Information is the key to any manager's success. Make
your Help Desk the source of key first line response to your "customers" and provide you
meaningful information to improve your IT business.
G. Mike Sisco's IT Manager Articles Collection - A collection of more than 100 articles written for
my Practical IT Manager Tips Newsletter. Lots of information here to help any IT manager.
2. Work place behavioral profile (Value - $250.00)
Prior to attending the Institute, you will complete a quick survey (10 minutes or so) that will give me
tremendous insight into how you are operating in your current work environment. Participants are
always amazed at how accurate this profile is and how much I already know about you, even before
meeting you.
This tool and the informational questionnaire you provide plus the "pre-class interview " will give me
plenty of insight into your personal situation. No one in the industry does this amount of preparation
before class. It becomes a vital tool to help me address issues that relate to your specific situation and
give you insight to help you be more successful. It also helps me develop your 30-day Action Plan.
3. Customized 30-day Action Plan (Value - $1,000.00)
At my average consulting rate of $250.00 per hour, it would cost much more than $1,000 for me to
assess your situation and to develop a specific 30-day action plan. I use a conservative amount for this
exercise. Each participant develops their own 30-Day Action Plan as part of the exercises that
conclude each module.
4. 90 days of free mentoring support (Value - $1,500.00)
One way to assure your success is to provide you with ongoing support and help after the program is
completed. Need another set of eyes to look at an employee situation? Call me or send me an email
message. Need insight into how I would look at a client or vendor situation? Contact me and let's talk
about it. Need help in using one of the tools? I want to help you take advantage of every aspect of the
Institute. Participants are encouraged to use this service.
Want help in finding cost savings in your company? Call me and we will work through it together. I
want you to recoup the costs of the program and gain recognition from your senior management
team. It adds credibility to you as a manager and to the Institute program; it is truly a win - win, , , , plus
your company recoups its investment by much more than what was spent for the program.
The value is based on an average of two hours of time per month in the 90-day free support window.
5. Membership in MDE's IT Manager Round Table (Value - ???)
The IT Manager Round Table is a special forum for IT Manager Institute participants and "special
invited members" to share ideas, look for assistance and to help one another. The Round Table will
grow over time and has the opportunity of becoming a valuable resource to each of its members. Every
IT Manager Round Table member receives a minimum of a 50% discount off any MDE product or
service. The overall value of this one benefit can be worth thousands of dollars in itself as we
introduce new products and services to help IT managers achieve more.
6. Institute Notebook and tools handouts (Value - $75.00)
A complete class notebook of all the presentations is included plus copies of many of the management
tools we discuss in detail to help provide insight into being the effective manager you are to become.
7. Class extras (Value - ???)
You have to attend to find out about this one. All I can tell you is that I believe in "giving back". Believe
me, you will remember being part of an IT Manager Institute for a very long time.
The benefits of the Institute go well beyond the course and you will continue to receive more benefits from MDE for years to come. Part of the commitment we make for every IT Manager Institute participant is to continue to "give back" long after the program is over.
Why?
Because we consider Institute participants to be a special group - those who make a commitment to develop their IT management skills and invest in themselves and their company we make an extra effort. At MDE, we believe in win-win relationships and that's why we want every Institute participant to freely say that it was not only a good investment initially but that it continues to pay them back years after they attend the 5-day class.
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