Transform IT Role

Technology represents tremendous value if you view it from the proper perspective. IT empowerment also has its various levels in any organization. As a CIO or IT Senior Leader, you should try to move the technology function up the value chain. Learn how to transform your service delivery organization being looked upon as another cost center to a business partner that provides valuable services and brings competitive advantage for the business.

Technology represents tremendous value if you view it from the proper perspective. IT empowerment also has its various levels in any organization. How the business perceives the roles of the IT organization, whether they consider it to be another cost center or think of it as a partner that enables business success. Let's understand how an IT department matures in any organization.

IT is another Cost Center

Category 1 is “ Another Cost Center”. Business leaders think IT to be one of the utilities like Electricity, Telecommunications, etc. that helps manage the day to day operations of the business.

IT is Enabler

In Category 2, the IT department is viewed as an enabler. Business leaders think IT helps them manage business operations more efficiently and thereby help them solve their complex business problems.

IT is a Performer

In Category 3, IT is perceived as a performer, and business leaders see immense value out of their technology arm. They think IT delivers tangible value and provide them with a competitive edge to win the marketplace. IT in this role is seen as driving process improvements & cost efficiencies for the organization.

IT as a Transformer

The next category is that of the transformer where IT is considered as one of the major strategic imperative. Business leaders think IT brings substantial change to the business and partners in driving innovation and strategy.

These categories might depend on the scale of the company’s operations or on the cost that the business is ready to spend on IT. In the case of global companies, there are more expectations from IT to provide innovation and transformation. Smaller firms may want to use IT as more of a basic service, to keep costs down and serve daily operational needs efficiently. However, as IT Leaders and IT professionals, there are always opportunities to add innovation and change into your roles. You can develop these skills irrespective of where your organization lies in the above categories. Let us understand what are the skills and how to develop them.

Narrative Leadership Style

Narrative leadership is interpreted as the leader who aspires to construct leadership by telling stories. Leadership is a task of persuasion, of winning people’s minds and hearts. Storytelling is thus inherently suited for the task of leadership. Learn about the narrative leadership style and how to use this style to inspire and motivate followers or to manage change.

Read more
Importance of Technical Skills

Today’s business environment is complex and changing at a fast pace. Tough business problems require technical expertise to create cost-effective & sustainable solutions. All industries need some kind of technical skills to accomplish complex actions, tasks, and processes relating to computational and physical technology as well as a diverse group of other enterprises. The acquisition of advanced technical skills requires specific education certification or training, often with practical hands-on learning.

Read more
Assess Your Career Values

The best career choices are ones that match your values. Each person has several values that are important to him. These values are highly personal and knowing them provides a clearer sense of what's most important to you in your life and career. Career values are the beliefs you consider important from a work standpoint. Values help you understand what you want from a job? Explore a few examples of work values that can influence career path and job satisfaction.

Read more
Level Five Leadership

“Level 5 Leadership”, this term was coined by Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” and it is all about achieving "Greatness" as a leader. This article will explain what we mean by Level 5 Leadership and what the characteristics of a Level 5 leader are. What it takes to achieve greatness as a leader, and what are the steps and strategies that one can use to move up to this top level of leadership.

Read more
Team Development by Building Trust

As your team begins to work together, you need to establish a way each team member can exchange ideas and build mutual trust. Successful groups are built on trust and collaboration. A free exchange of ideas, in an open environment, will allow your team to get to know each other and enable you to check on how they work together. Learn some tips to help build team trust and establish personal bonds.

Read more
Change is the Only Constant

In our present Hitech scenario, society is changing very fast. What are the skills that are most relevant for leaders in relation to the changing economic environment? Leaders need to develop skills to drive innovation and change in order to play a more central role in their organizations’ activities. How do managers accept the change and meet business expectations by becoming a key figure in driving change and innovation?

Read more
Bad Leadership Style

A good leadership style is something that every effective leader must have in order to succeed, but identifying what that entails or does not entails might be difficult to understand. Most of the research on leadership focuses on the exemplary, best practices, and positive attributes of effective and successful leaders. This article talks about a new approach to learn leadership using lessons from bad leadership. That is the lessons to be learned by examining leaders who have not effectively exercised their power, authority, or influence.

Read more
Process of Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity. The best time management techniques improve the ways you work. Time management refers to managing time effectively so that the right time is allocated to the right activity. Learn more about the five steps for effective time management viz. study, identify, analyze, decide, and implement.

Read more
Tips for Career Progression

Navigating your career journey will hopefully include a series of experiences that challenge your skills and abilities in ways that are satisfying and rewarding. Only you can manage your career. That means you must determine what things you are passionate about, what your goals are, both professionally and personally, and how much energy you are willing to invest along the way. Learn how to build an effective career path framework for yourself.

Read more
Tools for Developing Your Team

If a manager has too many weak spots in the talent of the team, the ability to empower the team members to independently execute the project is impaired. Assignments fall behind schedule or stretch out because the needed skills or knowledge are not in place when needed. To successfully execute important projects, hiring talented people, and increasing the talents of existing staff are most important.

Read more