IT Management have their hands full these days. IT organizations have a lot on their plates, and keeping the data center humming is only part of the equation. Factor in the threats coming at IT from every direction, and you can see why IT pros have ample reason to be paranoid. The invasion of consumer devices into the workplace, the rush toward cloud computing, the constant vigilance to prevent data spills, all while managing a meager budget in an era when your career can be cut short at any time can cause even the most level-headed IT pro to start looking over his shoulder. How do you keep sane?
Having your data center go down - can impact the business - hurt the entire organization. From natural disasters to massive power outages, loss of connectivity, server meltdowns, cyber espionage, insider sabotage, cyber attacks, burglaries, and more. Having a solid DR plan and incident response team is essential. How do you do that with budgets being cut at alarming rates?
You have gadget fever impacting the IT organization, you have executives reading trade magazines and all hyped up on cloud computing, and the list is long. So there are reasons many CIO and IT Executives feel it is all out of control.
I propose to you to keep a level head. You have to manage up, down, and peer levels, but don't let it consume your life. You work to live, and don't live to work. Delegate consumer electronic issues to your Director of IT Services - get a handle on what is acceptable and what is not, and let the business make the decision based off your assessment, risks identified, and security threats. This needs to include data leak prevention. Your DR plan should be managed by your governance delegate and have your team keep you in the loop, and up to date in your executive team meetings.
I would also leverage your relationships and business partnerships to do a check/evaluation of your environment and processes. Check and adjust will ensure you are heading in the right direction and that all paddles are in the water. I would also keep all the technology hype in check - don't get carried away on the technology march - but ensure you are delivering value to the organization.
Have a regular scheduled meeting with the business to evaluate how IT is doing, the value they are delivering, and most important - determine the capabilities the business seeks. Keep engaged and close to the business to make sure IT is bringing value to the organization.
It is easy to get overwhelmed and consumed in all the chaos going on. Deal with that which is important and some things - you just have to let go.
Keep positive!
Scott Arnett
scott.arnett@charter.net
About Me
- Scott Arnett
- Scott Arnett is an Information Technology & Security Professional Executive with over 30 years experience in IT. Scott has worked in various industries such as health care, insurance, manufacturing, broadcast, printing, and consulting and in enterprises ranging in size from $50M to $20B in revenue. Scott’s experience encompasses the following areas of specialization: Leadership, Strategy, Architecture, Business Partnership & Acumen, Process Management, Infrastructure and Security. With his broad understanding of technology and his ability to communicate successfully with both Executives and Technical Specialists, Scott has been consistently recognized as someone who not only can "Connect the Dots", but who can also create a workable solution. Scott is equally comfortable playing technical, project management/leadership and organizational leadership roles through experience gained throughout his career. Scott has previously acted in the role of CIO, CTO, and VP of IT, successfully built 9 data centers across the country, and is expert in understanding ITIL, PCI Compliance, SOX, HIPAA, FERPA, FRCP and COBIT.
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