?? How to Avoid the 7 Most Common IT Executive Mistakes: A Guide to Excellence in IT Leadership ??
Iain White
Tech Consultant | IT Leader | Mentor | Virtual CTO | Leadership Coach | Project Manager | Scrum Master | IT Strategy | Digital Transformation | IT Governance | Agile | Lean | Theory Of Constraints | SaaS | Brisbane.
"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." - Bill Gates
?? Hey LinkedIn Fam,
Ever wondered why some IT executives seem to have it all together while others are constantly firefighting? ??
Let's deep-dive into the 7 common pitfalls IT leaders should steer clear of and how to navigate them successfully. ??
1?? Lack of Clear Strategy and Vision ??
The Fix: Develop a roadmap based on COBIT framework for IT governance. It provides you a scaffold to align IT with business goals.
?? Real-world example: During a digital transformation project, aligning the roadmap with COBIT helped us identify key performance indicators that mattered the most.
2?? Poor Risk Management ??
The Fix: Use PMBOK guidelines to create a risk register and mitigation plans.
?? Real-world example: In mobile app development, we used PMBOK methodologies to identify potential bottlenecks in third-party integrations.
3?? Ignoring Cybersecurity ??
The Fix: Adopt a culture of security. Ensure your DevOps pipeline integrates security checks at every stage.
?? Real-world example: A cloud migration project we led had security built in from the ground up, significantly reducing vulnerabilities.
4?? Inefficient Vendor Engagement ??
The Fix: ISO 20007 can help standardize the ways you engage and manage vendors.
?? Real-world example: Using ISO 20007, we were able to streamline vendor communications during a large scale IT service desk overhaul.
5?? Resistance to Change ??
The Fix: Agile and Scrum can be your best friends. Embrace change as a constant and ensure your teams are aligned.
?? Real-world example: Our switch from waterfall to Scrum led to 40% quicker product deployments.
6?? Poor Service Management ???
The Fix: Implement ITIL best practices to make your IT Service Desk a powerhouse of efficiency.
?? Real-world example: After implementing ITIL, our ticket resolution time decreased by 60%.
7?? Neglecting Professional Development ????
The Fix: Encourage learning. Whether it’s Design Patterns or SOLID principles, a learned team is a productive team.
?? Real-world example: Quarterly 'Tech Talks' that we host focus on topics like Theory of Constraints, boosting team problem-solving skills.
?? Final Thoughts: Staying ahead in the IT game is not about avoiding mistakes but learning from them. What are some of the lessons you’ve learned in your IT journey? ??
?? Tag someone who can benefit from these insights.
#CTOInsights #ITGovernance #DigitalTransformation #RiskManagement #Cybersecurity #DevOps #Agile #Scrum #COBIT #ITIL #PMBOK #VendorManagement #ProfessionalDevelopment
Great points about accounting for the potential failure points and applying standards in how you approach them. I think the challenge is in prioritizing between the different areas and aligning as a leadership team on the overall strategy. But, even knowing what you need to consider is an important first step.