Foreword (Ron J. Ponder)
Preface
Positioning IT as Provider of Choice
Moving Beyond IT and Business Alignment
A Unique Approach: Putting the Book into Action
Acknowledgments
About the Contributing Authors
Chapter 1 Creating Your Twenty-First Century Workforce and Culture
Core Skills for Success
Assess Your Core Competencies
Who Will Benefit Most
Leveraging This Book
Chapter 2 Transforming Your IT Team
How to Make This Transition: Learn to Think Differently
Mindset Change 1: Force Yourself to Plan and Think of the Big Picture
Mindset Change 2: Adopt a Proactive Approach
Mindset Change 3: Resist the Temptation to Delve into Tactics
Mindset Change 4: Be Candid with Yourself and Others
Mindset Change 5: Prepare for and Embrace Change
Mindset Change 6: Anticipate, Understand, Respect, and Work through Complexities
Five Critical Success Factors that Enable IT Organizational Excellence
Leadership: Lead by Positively Influencing and Inspiring Others
Strategy: Establish the Right Winning Game Plan for Your Organization
People: Hire and Professionally Develop Your Winning Team
Best Practices: Leverage IT Best Practices Right-Sized for Your Organization
Execution: Translate Your Strategy, Goals, and Initiatives into Specific Action Plans that Deliver Measurable Results
Conclusion: High-Performance Reality
Chapter 3 Driving Change with Intent
Defining Terms
The Components of Change
Achieving Commitment Is Essential for Sustaining Change
Change Takes a Community
Change Leader
Change Agent
Change Advocate
Clarity Precedes Activity
Making the Case for Change
Ensuring the Path Forward Is Clear
Messaging the Change
Conclusion
Chapter 4 Building a Client-Focused IT Culture
What Good Service Looks Like
Service Skills and Mindsets
A We Mindset
Learning to Love Complaints
Making Every Interaction Count
Strategies for Developing a Service Mentality
Never Let It Go
Clearly Define Your Service Level Offerings
Engage Your Clients in the Culture Shift
Conclusion
Chapter 5 Evolving into the Role of Consultant
What Exactly Is a Consultant's Role, Anyway?
Why Do I Need to Become More Consultative?
Learning to Change Hats: The Four Roles of IT
So, How Do I Become a Consultant?
Business Acumen
Human Interaction Skills
Audience Profile
Listening
Empathy
Diplomacy
Avoiding Emotional Hooks
Educating without Arrogance
Rapport Building
How Difficult Can This Be?
Conclusion
Chapter 6 Negotiating: Getting What You Want without Damaging the Relationship
Position versus Interest Negotiations
Three Key Factors; Three-Step Process
Negotiation Elements
People and Relationships
Styles and Situations
Applying the Key Factors to the Second Step: Information Exchange
The Final Step: Now Comes the Bargaining
Conclusion: Effective Negotiators Are Made, Not Born
Chapter 7 Sharpening Your Political Savvy
Picturing Yourself as a Political Player
IT and Politics: Historically Strange Bedfellows
A Five-Step Process for Developing Political Awareness
Start Your Radar
Determine Where the Power Bases Are
Sort Your Enemies from Your Allies
Predict the Political Pitfalls, and Chart the Course
Stay the Course
Developing Political Skills
Creativity
Interpersonal Effectiveness
Communication
Focus
Interests
Flexibility
Trust
Support
Conflict Management
Conclusion
Chapter 8 Managing Projects: The Science and the Art
The Building Blocks of Project Management
Structuring Projects for Success
Developing Plans that Work
Managing to Successful Completion
The Four Tenets of the Project Manager's Mindset
Tenet 1: Serve the Client
Tenet 2: Accomplish the Mission
Tenet 3: Grow the Team
Tenet 4: Own the Project
Conclusion: Thinking like a Project Manager
Chapter 9 Changing Your Requirements-Gathering Mindset
The What, Not the How
The Importance of the Interview
Communicating through Pictures
Writing a Solid Requirements Document
Conclusion
Chapter 10 Managing the Vendor Relationship
Both Sides of the Coin
Preparing for a New Role
Getting a Fresh Start
Seven Phases of Managing Vendor Partnerships
Phase 1: Process Evaluation
Phase 2: Determine What Should Be Insourced and What Should Be Outsourced
Phase 3: Vendor Selection
Phase 4: Contract Development and Negotiations
Phase 5: Implementation of the Working Relationship
Phase 6: Management of the Relationship
Phase 7: Evaluation of the Results
Conclusion
Chapter 11 Marketing IT's Value
Marketing to the IT Department
Build Partnerships
Differentiate Yourself
Establish Credibility
Create Product and Service Awareness
Develop a Formal Plan
Determining Success
Conclusion
Chapter 12 Creating the Social Organization
The Social Business Framework
What Is Driving Businesses To Be More Social?
Content Needs To Be Engaging, Informative, And Reach People On An Emotional Level
Design Communities to Enable Learning for Specific Target Groups
Leverage Collaborative Platforms To Achieve Scale
Start The Implementation Process As Social Experiments And Iterate Quickly
Listen And Learn Through Metrics
Provide Change Leadership By Focusing On Different Stakeholders
Conclusion: Opportunities for IT
Chapter 13 Putting the Book into Action
Stories from the Trenches
A Newly Consultative IT Function Helps Drive St. Luke's Health System Transformation
A Cultural Shift
Addressing the Issues
Breaking Old Models
Ah-Ha Moments
Continuing the Momentum
At Marriott, a Transformed IT-Business Relationship Is the Underpinning for Hospitality Giant's Success
A New Role for IR
On the Same Page
True Business Integration
At Bowdoin College, Trust in IT Created a Culture of Change within a Haven of Liberal Arts
Overcoming Resistance
The Fruits of Trust
Change-Positive Organizations
Conclusion
Chapter 14 Moving IT Up the Maturity Curve - IT Talent Management
Gaining a Core Competency Mindset
Moving Up the IT Maturity Curve
Talent Management 2.0
A Look at the “Best of the Best”
Best Practice #1: Enable Career Journey Interactions
Best Practice #2: Assess Core IT Competencies
Best Practice #3: Help Employees Create Career Development Plans
Best Practice #4: Identify Organization-wide Skill Gaps
Conclusion/ Turning the Tide
Note
About O&AIndex