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.

Is Stress Always Bad?

Stress is an essential part of our life. No one can live without stress. Stress can be beneficial as well as harmful. Stress as a positive influence adds excitement and hope while as a negative influence it can result in destructive feelings, anger, and depression. Although the general orientation to stress is to consider unfavorable outcomes, yet one must have observed that stress experiences may also facilitate the development of effective and varied coping behavior, increased personal resources, and lead to a sense of competence in development. Stress at a moderate level is not only inevitable but may be useful for physical and mental well-being.

Read more
Concept & Definition of Stress

Stress is a popular expression used by people in day to day life. Pressures of day to day living sometimes necessitate coping or dealing with them and stretch the body beyond its natural capacity. They are called stressors. Stress is a natural, ongoing dynamic, and interactive process that takes place as people adjust to their environment.

Read more
Understanding Corporate Strategy

Management outlook and procedures have been revolutionized by more and more innovations over the recent years. It is no longer possible to follow traditional approaches to develop your organization's direction, its management as well its effectiveness. Senior managers need to be good decision-makers. In this section, we introduce concepts for strategy, strategic planning, strategic leadership, their exact meaning and associated terms, and how to use them.

Read more
Tips for Effective Time Management

After studying and analyzing how time is spent, why time is wasted, and where time is wasted you need to decide about the changes required for effective utilization of time. For this purpose, a large number of remedial measures can be taken by you. The first and foremost determinant of a planned and purposeful utilization of time is to develop consciousness of the value of time at all levels of the organization. Planning, goal setting, and defining priorities are concerns to addressed immediately.

Read more
Top Management Skills

In today's business world, proficiency in management skills is essential for career growth and success. Managerial skills can be defined as attributes or abilities that are essential for every leader and manager to succeed and fulfill specific tasks expected from them by the organization.

Read more
Katz’s Three-Skill Approach

Robert Katz identified three leadership skills called - technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills as the basic personal skills essential for leadership. Leaders must possess these three skills that assist them in optimizing a leader's performance. Technical skills are related to the field, human skills are related to communicating with people and conceptual skills related to setting the vision.

Read more
Developing Functional Skills

Functional skills are the core competencies that can be transferred to different work areas like understanding of finance is independent and a finance expert can comfortably adapt to a manufacturing or service industry. Functional skills are obtained by understanding the various processes and the principles applicable to a business function. Functional experts are in great demand as they are specialists and required to manage the business processes like human resources, operations, or finance.

Read more
Develop your Leadership Skills

There are a number of broad skill areas that are particularly important for leaders. Today's demanding global business landscape is defined by relentless change and rising business complexity, bringing new challenges. Leadership skills provide career-enhancing resources and support you to be exceptionally successful in your career. Leaders need to provide direction to their teams and need to be able to make good and timely decisions to define and support strategic direction for the enterprise.

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
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