IT+Director+Role

1. List and describe the four main roles of a technology director or CIO. Also explain why each of them is important. (20 points)20

There are four main roles of the IT Director in an organization.

= An IT Director should: =
 * === drive the technology vision for an organization ===
 * === create departmental value ===
 * = communicate with staff =
 * === manage customer support. ===

An IT Director will develop a strategy to create value within her department. She will assess assets, staff, customers and customer needs. An IT Director will assess and pitch the importance of IT to a company by g etting funding for its department. She should strive to get a seat at the executive table to make technology work for the business more effectively. It is the most important role of IT Director.

An IT Director leads staff and contractors with effective team communication.

She must explain how she envisions the timelines of her goals and help staff identify objectives. She should encourage questions and input. An effective director listens carefully and meets regularly with her staff.

Finally, she may m anage technology related customer support. Customers may not really be retail customers; they could be from different departments.

She finds out the customer’s needs, sets up meetings and asks questions.

** IT Managers Roles ** 2 styles: · Command and Control (Authoritarian) · Collaboration  o Micro-manager (paralysis by analysis)  o Distant manager (no feedback, little communication)
 * Hints:Technology director roles **
 * Definition:assembling resources to reach a mutually agreed upon objective **


 * // IT Goals: //**// May be measured in the same terms as the business unit you support: reduce per unit costs of the divisions products and increase the capacity and throughput of business processes. //
 * There is a reason for our existence, what are they and why are they important. **

**Drive technology vision for organization ** IT should be regarded as a strategic resource to help the business get more out of its people. Technology dept. should be aligned with the companies direct profit and loss requirements and central to operations. Remind staff of vision statement if they get off track.

** Develop a strategy: ** · Assess assets: Staff, Customers, Customers needs · Assess importance of IT to company

a. Drive technology vision for organization As the major advisor to the top level management on technological issues and developments, technology managers should be aware of developments and competencies available in the market. They should act proactively by inferring from the new developments or applications since the technology changes quickly. Technology managers should be able to define the technological needs and goals of the organization. They should have direct influence on the strategic direction of the company related with the technology. One of the means to drive technology vision of the organization is making a reliable technology plan and contributing to strategy plan of the company in regards to IT issues. Nowadays, organizations are highly depended on technology that forces technology managers to keep up with the latest changes in the technology.

A responsible IT Director will drive the technology vision for an organization. The IT department should be regarded as a strategic resource to help the business get more out of its people. The technology department should be aligned with the companies direct profit and loss requirements. An effective IT Director will keep his department central to all business operations. Often, an IT Director will redirect her staff to the corporate vision statement if her team gets off track. (Define importance)

List and describe the four main roles of a technology director or CIO. Also explain why each of them is important. (20 points) 17, defining importance was a bit vague. You, as the CIO, should be the **influential factor in the technology vision** of your company. Your most important role is to assure that your department develops applications and provides technical operations that set your company ahead of its competitors. In class this was called “making technology work for your business”.

**Get funding/creating value **  o Get a seat at the table  o Most important role of IT manager  o Make technology work for business <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Lots of risks and rewards <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Technical directions can sometimes appear as opposition w/ market forces <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Win some; lose some

b. Get funding/creating value Technology managers should be able to create convincing projects that can be approved by top managers for funding. Good projects that are compatible with market needs can be funded. Technology managers can add value to the business by executing projects well and accomplishing results. Technology managers should also get enough funding for IT operations as maintenance and subscription costs to add value to organization. IT is one of the main areas that provide cutting edge competencies to organizations in today’s marketplace. Technology managers can get enough funding if they can keep up with the IT developments, so they can add value to the organization.

An IT Director will develop a strategy to create value within her department. She will assess assets, staff, customers and customer needs. An IT Director will assess and pitch the importance of IT to a company by g etting funding for its department. She should strive to get a seat at the executive table to make technology work for the business more effectively. It is the most important role of IT Director.

The CIO is responsible for **obtaining the funding** for the IT department. This is one of the CIO’s essential roles because the good and services of IT department are delivered to the entire organization and often to its clients as well. By establishing a culture within the organization where the operations and services of the IT department are understood and duly relied upon you are creating value for your department and assuring its success and thus the success of the organization. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Leading staff and contractors ** //<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Communicate with team // <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o Explain how you envision the timelines of your goals <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o Identify objectives and goals <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o Encourage questions and input <span style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> o Listen carefully & Meet regularly

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You must **lead the staff**, but permanent employees and contracted staff. You must communicate well with them and practice active listening so that they feel like a valuable part of the organization. You must keep them focused on their jobs by setting goals and priorities. You should keep an eye out for staff burnout and take measures to reduce its likelihood such as encouraging breaks and vacations, rotating tasks and providing rewards at project milestones.

c. Leading staff and contractors Technology managers should lead their team by knowing their abilities and their weak and powerful sides. Technology managers should have an exemplary attitude towards the business issues and staff. Technology managers should lead the contractors by approaching them as part of their team. Monitoring and controlling works of contractors with available means are jobs for Technology managers. Technology managers should be able to get help from his capable team members to control contractors better.

We can use walk-in method to monitor and control our team. Meetings are another way of controlling and leading IT team. Keeping technology team valuable is also one of the most important roles of Technology manager. Technology managers should be in the table whenever required. Technology managers should prove themselves and technology team by doing a diligent work.

An IT Director leads staff and contractors with effective team communication. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">She must explain how she envisions the timelines of her goals and help staff identify objectives. She should encourage questions and input. An effective director listens carefully and meets regularly with her staff.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20pt;">Manage customer support ** <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">Customers may not really be retail customers <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">Might be different departments <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">Find out the customers needs <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">Set up meetings and ask questions

d. Manage customer support Customers for technology managers may be more diverse than thought including other employees, suppliers, consumers, or other businesses. Technology managers should be able to supply their demands in a timely manner. So, he needs to organize his team accordingly. One of the key elements in supporting our customers is help desk. Technology managers should be aware of the needs and problem areas regarding technology issues to serve better to the customers. Technology managers should use Under Promise – Over Deliver rule that requires approaching problems and issues carefully. Under Promise – Over Deliver can be executed by Analyze Problems, Realistic Timelines, Finding the Key Meetings, Return emails and voice-mails, The “Fresh Perspective”.

** Technology managers should be aware of the needs of other departments and should align their work with other departments. Joining meetings is useful for managing customer expectations. **

** Finally, she may m anage technology related customer support. Customers may not really be retail customers; they could be from different departments. **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">She finds out the customer’s needs, sets up meetings and asks questions.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You are responsible for **customer support**- and customers can be within the organization (the people and departments serviced by IT) and, in many cases, outside the organization as well (clients). Good customer service practices include anticipating and pre-empting problems, troubleshooting, making yourself visible to your customers, planning effective meetings and communicating with the tool/method appropriate to the situation.