Help people, empower them, provide resources and tools they need to be successful, but DO NOT do their work for them. Completing the work of others doesn’t help anyone. It doesn’t help them, it doesn’t help you nor does it help your organization. People must be empowered and positioned to succeed, yet they must be accountable for their performance and …
How to build your reputation
You are only as good as your last performance. We have all heard this statement or a variation of it and unfortunately, in most organizations, it is partially true. I say partially true as your overall performance and contributions are more important than any single project, service improvement or business development opportunity. Your reputation as a whole is what matters. …
No more excuses, we’ve all had enough
No more excuses, we have all had enough of them for a lifetime. Talk is cheap, excuses plenty, but without action and execution you will never achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Stop coming up with excuses, reconnect with your why and take actionable steps forward towards your goals. The time is now to get closer to what …
Why annual performance reviews don’t work
Traditional, annual performance reviews don’t work and here’s why. Employees need consistent and constant input and suggestions when it comes to their responsibilities and performance. Having someone under perform for a year is a disservice to that employee, the firm as a whole and even yourself as a leader who is accountable for the overall performance and contributions of your …
Business and IT alignment
Dear fellow IT leaders, please stop aligning IT to business and be the business! Allow me to explain. Generally, in life, one aligns two separate things, two separate items while IT and business need to be one and the same. There are no IT organizations, there is only one organization, one business that you as IT are integral to. Information …
Leaders think and speak clearly
Leaders listen to ideas, consider them, and then make their own decisions based on collective experience, knowledge and available information. While you should always be considerate, professional and respectful to your colleagues you should not agree with ideas and courses of action that you don’t believe in. If your experience, education and knowledge advise you against a particular idea then …
CIOs are joining Boards of Directors
Technology is a the core of nearly everything we do in modern business and as such it needs to be considered as one of the greatest opportunity and difference makers around. With this in mind, it is natural to see more and more technology executives, most frequently Chief Information Officers (CIOs) joining both boards and top management teams. These teams …
Two weeks notice
You have handed in your resignation, your two weeks notice. Now what? First, resist the urge to slack off and tell those few you didn’t see eye to eye with what you really think of them – it’s not wort it. Second, tie up any lose ends, share information and knowledge and work proactively on passing your current responsibilities as …
The world doesn’t owe you anything
Stop with entitlement and earn all you want and need. Be humble, work hard and demonstrate knowledge and experience worthy of those things you seek. Furthermore, all of those who think and behave in a way that only they matter should reconsider their actions and understand that most (if not all) things in life need to be earned and are …
Tell me about your worst boss ever
Never speak ill of someone you work for. No matter what may have happened, publicly, you always need to have your boss’ back. Privately, you will hopefully have an opportunity to speak honestly and share your thoughts, ideas and comments. Conversely, don’t allow anyone to badmouth you or your team especially if they haven’t approached you first or have nothing …