Not Alone...

I was reviewing some materials on IT Leadership and training opportunities and ran across a training entitled: “Meeting the Global IT Challenge” Part of the description of the content is:--“A growing body of research indicates that executives and managers often perceive that IT investments are not as efficient or effective as they could be, and IT professionals need to enhance their abilities to add value by “providing relevant business solutions.””

While the comment about Exec’s not perceiving value in some IT projects came as nothing new, the comment about IT professionals following it did. The point is that they did NOT say just CIO’s or IT Director’s or even IT Manager’s need to enhance….the comment was “IT professionals need to enhance their abilities to add value…” It’s not a one man show in that the CIO or IT Manager just isn’t looked upon as the Holy Grail any longer….the entire TEAM is expected to “add value,” specifically by providing relevant business solutions.

Perhaps I’m fond of the comment because it is exactly how I feel and somewhat to the point of other Bloggings I’ve posted here. But, the fact remains, others are espousing it too! IT must provide relevant business value…it is expected and even demanded. IT employees if they hope to be successful in the field must embrace this change and develop skills that provide that value. Gone are the days when you could just understand the technology and get it work… Now the expectation is that IT employees (not just IT Management) understand the technology and also understand the business and how to provide technology solutions to move the business forward.
It’s a thought process. It’s a maturity and growth process that frankly was inevitable. Just as more and more Conservation employees are understanding technology better and demanding its implementation…..we too as IT employees should grow and understand more about the business of Conservation and in doing that, we will be better positioned to provide value.

I believe we recognized this trend several years ago with the advent of the FCS positions. The thinking with those folks was that they would understanding technology and yet dig deeper into the work that Conservation was doing. As a result, we could provide recommendations/solutions to help them accomplish their work. So at this point, it is apparent that the entire IT GROUP must more closely model that scenario than what is being done currently. Not one aspect of IT is excluded from this need to grow and mature into more integration with the business of Conservation.

The creation of the BA positions recently also point towards this need to become more “in tune” with the business side. We’re making progress and it has been slower that I would prefer….but moving is good and moving forward is better….I’m committed to continuing to find ways to help grow staff towards being the type of IT employee that Conservation needs….and deserves.

You in?

TAFN

Facts of Life...

“…sometimes, your best just ain’t good enough…” Ever heard those words? I have…and they have guided me and my actions for many years. While on the surface the quote likely sounds quite harsh and knowing that it came from my father may seem even worse. No, my father is not a harsh uncaring man, rather just the opposite.

Those words were spoken to me when I was a teenager and in the middle of a “life lesson” where I was acting, (as my Mother would say), “a little too big for my britches.” My father and I were having a discussion about some family tasks that needed to be completed before I took the family car to town. He was pointing out that I was neglecting some of the chores around the farm that I was responsible for and driving the family car required that I pull my weight too. Never missing many opportunities to open my mouth….I lashed out in true teenager style about how unfair life was to a young man, namely me. I ranted on about how hard I worked and how much effort I put into EVERYTHING I do…..I yelled at him that I was doing “the best I can…” His calm reply to me… “Well, if this is your best effort…It’s time you learned that, sometimes, your best ain’t good enough.”

Those words have stuck with me to this day….while some may interpret other meanings…I knew my Dad and I KNEW what he meant. He was dead on…as usual. Although I really didn’t know the meaning of the word back then and likely didn’t care too much…I had experienced a Paradigm Shift. The moment had arrived for my –“fundamental change in approach or assumptions.”

Those words opened my eyes to a new way of thinking…My thoughts prior to the event, were that I was doing everything I could possibly do and as such nothing more was needed ….and yet the reality was that: It wasn’t good enough for someone! Wow!! My eyes were opened! It wasn’t all about me. There were others to consider and my value wasn’t just based upon what I thought of myself. My value was measured in different terms than just my own…so just because I “thought” I was doing everything I could….in reality it didn’t appear that way to others. Hmmmm

The fundamental shift for me included the realization that I must grow even further…because it was obvious that my standards of best or good enough, etc. just wasn’t going to get it. So the process began where the value of Jim Garr wasn’t just being based upon a self perception. I realized that sometimes my view of myself was biased…no in fact it was clouded, muddied if you will by my own blindness. I wanted my efforts, as great or as slight as they may be….to be good enough. My father kindly pointed out…it’s not that way junior.

I look around today and I feel I meet people in the world who didn’t have the type of father that I did. It is obvious to me that no one taught them the same lesson in their life. Some have no clue about the need to grow…the need to stretch mind, body, and soul. They are missing a basic understanding that not everyone’s view of who and what you are is the same as yours. I believe it related to understanding a bigger picture of things….not staying in your own little shallow corner of existence. An understanding of when we think we have it all…. that is generally the first clue we are missing something.

My takeaway…never assume you are doing all you can possibly do. Look for other ways, better ways, quicker ways, less costly ways, etc. An old saying I used to use in my Collegiate Basketball days to gauge whether or not I had any more to give is:”If you left your guts on the floor, then you’ve done all you can…” If you haven’t done that…then you haven‘t given it your best effort. I often wonder how different work and family life would be if everyone put that much effort into it.

Yes, I did get to use the family car….after promising to make up for less than 100% effort.

To this day, my measure of success IS NOT based upon my criteria alone…that would be too shallow. I thank my Dad for the education to help me understand, it is bigger than me… Why would anyone settle for something less than best effort?

TAFN

Purge the Mundane...

I’ve been vocalizing for some time now about the need for change within our IT Group. I’ve also thrown out some suggestions/ideas of where we should be going as a Technology Services group and even why or how that would add value to Conservation. Ran across an article by Michael H. Hugos that puts some of the things I’ve been talking about into a pretty clear perspective.
He writes: “The IT groups that remain within companies will change their focus from data center operations to the design, construction and constant adjustment of systems that meet ever-changing business conditions. The value of IT groups within most companies will no longer be measured by how well they operate information technology but by how well they combine technology with business processes to create a stream of responsive and profitable products and services for their companies’ customers.”

Farfetched? Pipe dream? I don’t think so….I believe the writing is on the wall—in that technology employees must learn the business…understand the processes that drive the organization. Otherwise we need to relegate our future to total reactionary practices as other business units will be driving the technology they want/NEED down our throat. We’ve seen examples of that pushing already within our Organization….others are doing our research & development and asking for specific technology. We must change for face extinction or be relegated to basement vault. While being exposed to outside (of IT) suggestions is NOT necessarily a bad thing…we need to be in the foreground in researching, investigating, developing NEW technology solutions that move Conservation forward.


If you read Michael’s article, he goes on and describes other scenarios that I believe are critically important for us to consider also. For years, “outsourcing” was the bane amongst IT Staffers….the tide has turned and like it or not, organizations must do what is right for the business. They must be looking for costing advantages, productivity and efficiency gains, and ways to be more responsive. Looking at offloading run of the mill tasks within an IT group may be the perfect opportunity to gain back some valuable time from an IT Staff. That time can then be spent working on new ideas, new approaches, and new technology that continue to add value to the org.

I don’t believe total outsourcing is of immediate value to this Organization. But, we owe it to the folks we work for, to find ways to continue to “do more with less.” If we ignore that challenge we only provide more fodder for those who would believe outsourcing is the less expensive and best solution. We need to become more educated on the value that some offloading can provide. We should be investigating and recommending those opportunities to free up some of our time to work on more important tasks…..

TAFN

Moneys Worth?

Had a little time this weekend to think/reflect....one of the best times for me to do that is when I'm mowing the lawn. Nothing to worry about there but straight lines, so I have a solid hour to just think. One of the things I was thinking about was related to an earlier blog about value and what we bring to the table for MDC. So continuing my thinking along those lines, I got to thinking about what folks within our IT group are getting paid.....seems there's a lot of money tied up in IT salaries.

Many folks within this group are getting paid significantly more than other MDC employees with more years experience in this Agency and training specifically related to the work we are constitutionally mandated to do---that is Fish, Forest, and Wildlife Management. Some folks who are not considered Managers, supervise no one, have no fiscal responsibility are paid more than others who do. Why? I asked myself. Is the value really there for MDC, for these folks?

I would venture a guess that if you would query those individuals, they would relate that they are worth every penny---they do what they are paid to do---they work hard, etc, etc. But, do they?? Are they really moving Conservation forward? Just being reliable showing up to work and doing what you are told to do by someone whom supervises you doesn't meet that litmus test in my mind. Why should you paid more than most and still have to be told what to do, how to do it, and when it should be done? Where is the value in that?

I believe the value in employees is when they can think on their own, independent of having to be told specifically what has to be done and when. They have trained animals in a circus that is able to do that! The ability to learn from past mistakes and being able to prevent similar things from recurring is something everyone could/should be able to do. Putting on blinders and only seeing the task at hand IS NOT adding value, IMHO. I don't see people in their private lives exhibiting that behavior---they make a banking mistake that costs them some money and BAM, that never happens again. They make mistakes in their home life and learn valuable lessons from that mistake....those mistakes are not made again, typically. There are exceptions to every rule of course....

So what's in this for me? As a paid Manager for this group, I honestly believe it is mandated that I ensure we (the company) are getting what we've paid for. Are we paying for mediocrity? I think most in this Agency would answer no to that question. OK, so if we're not paying for mediocrity are we getting what we pay for? That is my question.

My answer, ....I think not. Now, that observance isn't limited to our group, but my supervisor authority is. So, I will re-evaluating who is doing what, what we are paying them, their contributions to IT/MDC, etc. Frankly just because you've worked here a long time, doesn't mean you should earn more money than me---You must be adding value and be helping move Conservation forward. This job requires a thought process, we don't need robots or trained Monkeys. I'm thinking if you make twice as much as me, then you should be twice as valuable...your work should reflect that...your thought process should be better, quicker, more refined...you should make fewer mistakes....you shouldn't have to be told the basics...you shouldn't have to be reminded time and time again of the same errors.

The ability to grow mentally is critical to where we help lead MDC from a technology perspective in the future. We need people who can (AND DO) THINK---think outside what they are being told...question if we are doing the right thing...in the right way. Learn from mistakes...push themselves to be better, technically, to improve skill sets period. Perhaps a question to ask is...."What have I done in the past year to improve who I am in Conservation?" ...have I pushed myself ?... What sets me apart from others? Why am I more important to Conservation that someone they can bring in off the streets tomorrow for less money?

Bottom Line = Am I worth what they are paying me?.... That question, my friends, requires your serious thought...because I guarantee you, if others are not asking that question about you right now....likely they will very soon! It just makes sense.

TAFN