Being in the fun-filled world of IT is a different ballgame that it was a decade ago. With pressures coming from all angles to brutally manage cost, the role of IT manager had undergone significant changes.
Long ago in a land far away, the role of IT manager often went to the guy that had been with the company for many years as the “head geek”. This is the guy that made everyone happy with the magic that he worked with seeming simplicity. It was a time of perfect harmony. Peace and good will ruled in the hearts of all men…ahhh the good old days.
Today’s victimIT manager has quite a different world to survive. Gone are the days of peace and merriment, replaced by what can only be described as a daily battle to make two disparate worlds play together without bloodshed. Not only must the new IT manager understand the technology, he also better have a suit, with a tie.
So, if you find yourself in the unenviable position of IT manager at this place and time in history, here’s a little advice from the peanut gallery:
Guard Pandora’s Box: A truly effective IT group must be filled with “evil geniuses”. These are the guys that, if given the time and pizza, could open a portal to an alternate universe (just because it’s cool). Without that kind of skill, an IT shop can become heavy on cost and light on results. However, the first rule when dealing with evil geniuses is to avoid the landmines that they are sure to leave behind. The object lesson here is stability. When systems begin to fail or produce unpredictable results, the clock starts ticking. A manager that finds himself in this position too often is a manager with an expiration date.
Spread More Pixie Dust: It can’t be overstated that what made IT the “land of milk and honey” was excitement. In the early days, the sky was the limit and most businesses were awe struck with the amazing things that could be dreamed up by their IT wizards. Somewhere along the way, the magic became common and understandable by the uninspired. To bring back the magic, it’s critical for the new IT manager to understand the needs of the business and fill them in spades. If the new IT manager does not inspire this charge, he will find himself on the receiving end of a grocery list from the suits. Trust in the fact that, that is not good.
Live up to the Hype: An IT manager that does not deliver on promises is walking dead. Far too often, a project or system that had guaranteed to save the company a mint (while making lemonade) turned into a big fat sink-hole. The new IT manager must defend against this at all costs. Projects must be understood, implemented correctly and completed on time. This is the manager’s job. All too often, the new IT manager avoids daily monitoring and leaves the results up to the evil geniuses. Remember the landmines? This is the single most common reason that an IT manager begins to look in the “help wanted” section of the paper.
The final thing to remember is that the new world of IT management is not for the feint of heart. With a little luck and countless hours of hard work, you can earn some decent jack. The unfortunate thing is that you will definintely not have the time to spend it.
Until next time, happy blogging.
Megadisclaimer: Take nothing at face value. Everything on this blog is for entertainment purposes. It won’t change the world, or even your opinion in most cases. If you believe everything that you read stop reading now!
written by Lochshen
