Description

Book Synopsis
Go from the IT guy to trusted business partner

If you''re in IT, quite a lot is expected of you and your team: be technologically advanced, business-minded, customer-focused, and financially astute, all at once. In the face of unforgiving competition, rampant globalization, and demanding customers, business leaders are discovering that it''s absolutely essential to have a strong, active partner keeping a firm hand on the decisions and strategies surrounding information technology. Unleashing the Power of IT provides tangible, hard-hitting, real-world strategies, techniques, and approaches that will immediately transform your IT workforce and culture, presenting the new mindset, skill set, and tool set necessary for IT leaders to thrive in today''s challenging environment.

  • Includes new discussion on social media
  • Offers online access to the IT Skill Builder Competency Assessment Tool
  • Features top ten lists of tips and techniques, proven fra

    Table of Contents

    Foreword IX

    Preface XIII

    Acknowledgments XVII

    About The Contributing Authors XIX

    Chapter 1 Creating Your Twenty-First-Century Workforce and Culture 1

    Core Skills for Success 2

    Assess Your Core Competencies 3

    Who Will Benefit Most? 4

    Getting the Most out of This Book 5

    Chapter 2 Transforming Your IT Team 7

    How to Make This Transition: Learn to Think Differently 10

    Five Critical Success Factors That Enable IT Organizational Excellence 14

    Conclusion 21

    Chapter 3 Driving Change with Intent 23

    Defining Terms 24

    The Components of Change 25

    Achieving Commitment Is Essential for Sustaining Change 25

    Change Takes a Community 28

    Clarity Precedes Activity 31

    Messaging the Change 34

    Conclusion 36

    Chapter 4 Building a Client-Focused IT Culture 39

    What Good Service Looks Like 41

    Service Skills for a New Mind-Set 43

    Strategies for Developing a Service Mentality 50

    Conclusion 53

    Chapter 5 Evolving into the Role of Consultant 55

    What Is the Consultant’s Role? 57

    Why Do I Need to Become More Consultative? 59

    Learning to Change Hats: The Four Roles of IT 60

    How Do I Become a Consultant? 61

    How Difficult Can This Be? 67

    Conclusion 68

    Chapter 6 Negotiating: Getting What You Want without Damaging the Relationship 71

    Position versus Interest Negotiations 72

    Three Steps and Three Key Factors 74

    Applying the Key Factors to the Second Step: Information Exchange 80

    The Final Step: Now Comes the Bargaining 81

    Conclusion 82

    Chapter 7 Sharpening Your Political Savvy 85

    Picturing Yourself as a Political Player 86

    IT and Politics: Historically Strange Bedfellows 87

    A Five-Step Process for Developing Political Awareness 89

    Developing Political Skills 92

    Conclusion 96

    Chapter 8 Managing Projects: The Science and the Art 99

    The Building Blocks of Project Management 101

    Structuring Projects for Success 104

    Developing Plans That Work 105

    Managing to Successful Completion 107

    The Four Tenets of the Project Manager’s Mind-Set 110

    Conclusion 114

    Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set 117

    The What, Not the How 119

    The Importance of the Interview 121

    Communicating through Pictures 124

    Writing a Solid Requirements Document 126

    Conclusion 127

    Chapter 10 Managing the Vendor Relationship 129

    Both Sides of the Coin 130

    Preparing for a New Role 131

    Getting a Fresh Start 133

    The Seven Phases of Managing Vendor Partnerships 135

    Conclusion 145

    Chapter 11 Marketing IT’s Value 147

    Market to the IT Department 149

    Build Partnerships 151

    Differentiate Yourself 152

    Establish Credibility 153

    Create Product and Service Awareness 154

    Develop a Formal Plan 155

    Determine Your Success 156

    Conclusion 157

    Chapter 12 Creating the Social Organization 159

    The Social Business Framework 161

    Conclusion 170

    Chapter 13 O&A Clients in Action: Stories from the Trenches 173

    St. Luke’s Health System: Transformation through a Newly Consultative IT Function 174

    Marriott: Success Enhanced through a Transformed IT-Business

    Relationship 178

    Bowdoin College: Trust in IT Creates a Culture of Change 182

    Conclusion 186

    Chapter 14 Moving IT up the Maturity Curve: IT Talent Management 187

    Gaining a Core Competency Mind-Set 188

    Moving up the IT Maturity Curve 189

    Talent Management 2.0 191

    A Look at the Best of the Best 193

    Conclusion 195

    Access Your Free Trial of It Skill Builder 197

    Bibliography 199

    Index 203

Unleashing the Power of It

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    A Hardback by Dan Roberts

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      Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 27/12/2013
      ISBN13: 9781118738566, 978-1118738566
      ISBN10: 111873856X

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      Go from the IT guy to trusted business partner

      If you''re in IT, quite a lot is expected of you and your team: be technologically advanced, business-minded, customer-focused, and financially astute, all at once. In the face of unforgiving competition, rampant globalization, and demanding customers, business leaders are discovering that it''s absolutely essential to have a strong, active partner keeping a firm hand on the decisions and strategies surrounding information technology. Unleashing the Power of IT provides tangible, hard-hitting, real-world strategies, techniques, and approaches that will immediately transform your IT workforce and culture, presenting the new mindset, skill set, and tool set necessary for IT leaders to thrive in today''s challenging environment.

      • Includes new discussion on social media
      • Offers online access to the IT Skill Builder Competency Assessment Tool
      • Features top ten lists of tips and techniques, proven fra

        Table of Contents

        Foreword IX

        Preface XIII

        Acknowledgments XVII

        About The Contributing Authors XIX

        Chapter 1 Creating Your Twenty-First-Century Workforce and Culture 1

        Core Skills for Success 2

        Assess Your Core Competencies 3

        Who Will Benefit Most? 4

        Getting the Most out of This Book 5

        Chapter 2 Transforming Your IT Team 7

        How to Make This Transition: Learn to Think Differently 10

        Five Critical Success Factors That Enable IT Organizational Excellence 14

        Conclusion 21

        Chapter 3 Driving Change with Intent 23

        Defining Terms 24

        The Components of Change 25

        Achieving Commitment Is Essential for Sustaining Change 25

        Change Takes a Community 28

        Clarity Precedes Activity 31

        Messaging the Change 34

        Conclusion 36

        Chapter 4 Building a Client-Focused IT Culture 39

        What Good Service Looks Like 41

        Service Skills for a New Mind-Set 43

        Strategies for Developing a Service Mentality 50

        Conclusion 53

        Chapter 5 Evolving into the Role of Consultant 55

        What Is the Consultant’s Role? 57

        Why Do I Need to Become More Consultative? 59

        Learning to Change Hats: The Four Roles of IT 60

        How Do I Become a Consultant? 61

        How Difficult Can This Be? 67

        Conclusion 68

        Chapter 6 Negotiating: Getting What You Want without Damaging the Relationship 71

        Position versus Interest Negotiations 72

        Three Steps and Three Key Factors 74

        Applying the Key Factors to the Second Step: Information Exchange 80

        The Final Step: Now Comes the Bargaining 81

        Conclusion 82

        Chapter 7 Sharpening Your Political Savvy 85

        Picturing Yourself as a Political Player 86

        IT and Politics: Historically Strange Bedfellows 87

        A Five-Step Process for Developing Political Awareness 89

        Developing Political Skills 92

        Conclusion 96

        Chapter 8 Managing Projects: The Science and the Art 99

        The Building Blocks of Project Management 101

        Structuring Projects for Success 104

        Developing Plans That Work 105

        Managing to Successful Completion 107

        The Four Tenets of the Project Manager’s Mind-Set 110

        Conclusion 114

        Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mind-Set 117

        The What, Not the How 119

        The Importance of the Interview 121

        Communicating through Pictures 124

        Writing a Solid Requirements Document 126

        Conclusion 127

        Chapter 10 Managing the Vendor Relationship 129

        Both Sides of the Coin 130

        Preparing for a New Role 131

        Getting a Fresh Start 133

        The Seven Phases of Managing Vendor Partnerships 135

        Conclusion 145

        Chapter 11 Marketing IT’s Value 147

        Market to the IT Department 149

        Build Partnerships 151

        Differentiate Yourself 152

        Establish Credibility 153

        Create Product and Service Awareness 154

        Develop a Formal Plan 155

        Determine Your Success 156

        Conclusion 157

        Chapter 12 Creating the Social Organization 159

        The Social Business Framework 161

        Conclusion 170

        Chapter 13 O&A Clients in Action: Stories from the Trenches 173

        St. Luke’s Health System: Transformation through a Newly Consultative IT Function 174

        Marriott: Success Enhanced through a Transformed IT-Business

        Relationship 178

        Bowdoin College: Trust in IT Creates a Culture of Change 182

        Conclusion 186

        Chapter 14 Moving IT up the Maturity Curve: IT Talent Management 187

        Gaining a Core Competency Mind-Set 188

        Moving up the IT Maturity Curve 189

        Talent Management 2.0 191

        A Look at the Best of the Best 193

        Conclusion 195

        Access Your Free Trial of It Skill Builder 197

        Bibliography 199

        Index 203

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