“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Destinations are my directing goals. I have an overview in what I mean by a destination. Paths are the way to get to goals – and what to do after you arrive.
My top paths to reach (and successfully stay at) the destinations are:
- Maintain a stable and secure IT infrastructure
- Create an IT infrastructure that pays for itself
- Build using what others have done
- Make changes small and quick
- Communicate what IT is doing
- Mission drives IT investment
I’ve found that that the stakeholders in IT services understand the paths and their associated destinations. The stakeholders may be sponsors, users or the people who rely on what the users and sponsors do.
By sponsors I mean the people who determine whether you can do what you do (or want to do). By users I mean the people who depend on and – well – use what you do. The people who rely on what the users and sponsors do – they are usually the customers. And by customers I mean the people who pay the sponsors so that the users and, ultimately, you get paid.
Disclaimers
I want to emphasize that the list is my list. What I do not suggest is that this is the definitive list for all IT and humanity. I found that these directives covered at least 80% of the IT decisions I have to make. Not 100%. I use the destinations to make good, perhaps even great, decisions consistently. The result is superior IT services. This enables the supported organization to excel.
Here is I know is that sharing these destinations with stakeholders. It has worked for getting their OK most times. I’ve usually have not had to share all five. I have used all five in every situation to direct my actions.
I draw This list from my experience and many other IT disciplines.
Did I mention that the list is my list? I think so. I have learned from many disciplines and methodologies throughout my career. ITIL, Agile, Lean, DevOps to name a few recent ones. See similarities to a particular approach? Congratulations! You are a student of IT. My goal is to apply the keywords and concepts of the other IT disciplines. My resulting actions should fit within them. What I discover and share might even extend them.
I am not a purist tied to a given discipline. I share what works. If you suspect that I may be promoting heresy to whatever IT faith you belong, I am sorry. A grand reconciliation of all faiths is not my goal. Sharing what works is.
The content within this site explores the destinations in great detail. I believe the destinations are important enough to warrant a permanent summary.
“If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favorable to him. Ignoranti quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est.”
What is a Destination?
What is a journey without a destination? How about a better question: what do I mean by a destination?
In the context of the IT journey, by destination I mean the goals for IT services. What are the desired outcome. A destination is why you’re compensated for what you do. The compensation may be money. When volunteering, it may be glory or bringing something into the world that makes it a better place. My work has brought those elements into my life in varying combinations and proportions.
The destination is the statement that the non-technical person understands. It is what in their world they’ll have when you do what you do. It is the answer to the ‘so what?’ question. Having the skill of answering that question well is what enables you to do what you know needs done.
You need the skill of engaging your decision maker in embracing your destination. We have to do it with our specific tasks and projects. What I list here are top level destinations. You can relate what you’re doing to one of these destinations. In doing so you have done a huge service for the people you support. Getting clear about the destination set the direction that will serve you reliably.
“The most likely way the world will be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That’s where we come in; we’re computer professionals. We cause accidents.”
Maintain a stable and secure IT infrastructure
Destination: Reliable and consistent IT resources availability
‘Maintain a stable and secure IT infrastructure’ is the destination most stakeholders clearly understand. Building the short, conversational statement that summarizes what you do? This should be the start of any statement.
Here’s an example:
Bob, work force consultant: “So what would you say …. you do here?”
You: “I maintain stable and secure IT infrastructure by <fill in whatever it is that you do here>”
“If you want to play, you gotta pay.”
Create an IT infrastructure that pays for itself
Destination: An IT infrastructure that offsets through increased productivity and reduced risk more expense than IT services cost
Being clear about how the IT infrastructure pays for itself. the most horrifying task an IT professional must do.
Name the main reason to develop something or buy and put something new in place. That is easy. The main reason, as well as the whys and benefits, is obvious (at least to the IT professional). How to pay for it . . . well, that requires some thought.
The most frequent reason that a technology caught our eye? It is cool. IT professionals would NEVER say that out loud, except, perhaps, to each other. Mature IT people will deny this, but that feeling still gently nudges them.
Our eyes go out of focus when we talk about it. We talk about how it would take care of ‘X’ – ‘X’ being the frustrating problem of the moment. We scour the internet and forums for more information about it. We watch YouTube demonstrations of it, some of which aren’t even in a language we speak.
But there you are: the money has to come from somewhere.
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
Build using what others have done
Destination: Lower cost for new and improved IT services that implement faster with less disruption
I have experienced a nasty and disproportionate tendency in IT professionals . They tend to disregard building using what others have done.
Favoring the familiar. ‘The Familiar’ is the technology you already know. That technology is usually not what is in place. So you don’t bother yourself with learning about what is there (The Unfamiliar).
You move immediately to what you DO know. Why? It feels like it will be quicker to disregard what is already there and start from scratch. This is especially true when the move will be to something about which you know a lot more. You can estimate the requirements for applying what you know. The unfamiliar technology already in place? Estimating changes to that is unknown.
Beyond that, using the skill you’re about to apply reinforces what a good decision it was to hire you. When your technology choice is in place, you’ll be that much more valuable.
Sadly, almost always it is not quicker or cheaper. It usually costs a lot more in organizational impact. Experienced non-technical managers and decisionmaker usually know that.
“Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.”
Make changes small and quick
Destination: Steady increase in overall productivity supported by IT with less disruption from change
American spiritual leader John Maxwell posited a development concept. He said you should ‘fail early, fail often, but always fail forward’. I would add ‘fail cheaply’. Silicon Valley companies embraced this with gusto. Software or infrastructure systems, doing smaller increments is great cost containment. It can also avoid the lessons born of catastrophe.
The Agile concept of a Minimum Viable Product embraces getting changes in place. Those changes at least do something. In software development, Scrum amplifies the intended quick movement to something visible and viable.
‘What small changes can I make that may accumulate to a spectacular outcome?’ Asking yourself this question is tough. Not a lot of visible glory in it. So how do we get from the today state to this destination? How can we claim what the organization needs quicker, more precisely and at the lowest cost?
“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.”
Communicate what IT is doing
Destination: Increased satisfaction with IT efforts through better understanding
Lack of communication can be the great punisher of IT professionals. We can include ‘not involving others’ as a variant. When looking for scapegoats, or an area to cut expense, IT is one of the easiest places to go.
When something goes wrong with IT services, a frequent question is ‘what are they doing?’
Sometimes that is the question even when nothing has gone wrong with IT services. Technology has some inherent mystery in it. In the blame shifting game, the mystery makes IT a convenient target. The thought is ‘I guess its possible that what you did just disappeared‘. And it is possible – but not likely.
The question ‘what are they doing?’ is a good and legitimate one. The challenge is how to make the question less frequent and less charged. Meeting the challenge requires communicating well both reactively and proactively. The risk in that is much less than the alternative of communicating solely on demand.
“‘Sustainable transformations follow a predictable pattern of buildup and breakthrough. Like pushing on a giant, heavy flywheel, it take a lot of effort to get the thing moving at all, but with persistent pushing in a consistent direction over a long period of time, the flywheel builds momentum, eventually hitting a point of breakthrough.'”
Follow mission with IT investments
Destination: IT changes with the most impact for the investment by improving what brings the most value to an organization’s customers
An organization’s mission drives the organization’s investment in IT. Or at least it should. You had better know what the mission is.
Amounts spent on IT are investments. IT pay, hardware outlays, and software costs are expenditures. Its no different than spending for inventory, buildings, labor and staff, and marketing.
All organizations need basic IT services. The basic services enable:
- taking and fulfilling orders,
- invoicing and collecting from customers, and
- paying employees, suppliers and government entitles.
The IT infrastructure that enables those services must be stable and secure. Beyond the basic, where do organizations direct their IT investments? The next level IT purpose: move an organization from good outcomes to great performance.