Leading IT Through People Facilitated Discussion Notes Sharm Manwani (Henley Management College), Alistair Russell (NCC), Colin Thompson (BCS) Supported by: Katerina Voutsina (LSE) British Computer Society, 50 years

What are the people issues in leading today’s IT groups? Requirements for a successful IT group Proactive understanding of the “business”part of its applications a good leader (charisma helps) a clear and well-communicated strategy and vision .. All the above statements impinge upon the role of the leader of the IT group…

Managing IT people: the role of the CIO Managing and engaging IT people Managing the organisational culture and group dynamics Planning and implementation Promoting good communications .. Leading by example…

Managing and engaging IT people A successful CIO is expected to display the following traits and behaviours: Credibility Self-reliance and consistency Being able to engage and inspire people …The personal touch is important..

Organisational culture & group dynamics A successful CIO will take into account the specifics of the organisational culture and the dynamics of the particular IT group Different organisational cultures and different compositions of the IT team require different managerial practices …’One size fits all’ does not work..

Planning and implementation Identify the right person for the right job Not all IT employees are equally willing or equipped to embrace the business logic alongside the engineering one The business IT interface needs a bridge between the business mindset and the engineering mindset Both a top-down and bottom-up approach are needed. When an abstract plan is put into action, new imperatives emerge and employees need to be engaged in the development of the solution …Successful planning embraces top-down & bottom-up views combining business & engineering mindsets..

Promoting good communications Keep the channels of communication open especially when difficulties arise Build relationships before focusing on tasks Establish regular forums with partners Use informal gatherings (e.g. lunch time questions to directors) …The Rule of 6, suggests that for most adults to internalize something, they must hear it six times..  

Conclusion There is no universal recipe for success regarding what an CIO should do in order to manage successfully his/her people. Success is closely related to the leader’s ability to harmonize: The firm’s structural, business-driven organisational and cultural characteristics (with) The skillsets and the behaviours of the IT team