cio corner: leadership/management checo meeting wed., april 9, 2008, 9:15–10:00 am pat burns, csu...
TRANSCRIPT
CIO Corner: Leadership/ManagementCHECO MeetingWed., April 9, 2008, 9:15–10:00 AMPat Burns, CSU
Mike Nicholson, ASC
Derek Wilson, CSM
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Outline
Discussion – the role of a CIO A CIO’s 5 questions for any project The 4 C’s of a CIO IT Governance Staffing
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Panelists and Roles at their Institutions Pat Burns, CIO at CSU
Large, public, research institution Highly decentralized IT environment
Mike Nicholson, CIO at ASC Small, public, academic institution Highly centralized IT environment
Derek Wilson, CIO at CSM Small, public, focused, research institution Centralized IT environment
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Discussion – the Role of a CIO Responsible for effective IT governance Interfacing with
The administration The faculty The students External constituents (DHE, etc.)
Managing the IT environment Serving as a political buffer Minimizing administrative burden on IT staff Ensuring projects are strategically aligned with institutional
goals and objectives Ensuring a proper culture – customer service
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The Most Important Attributes of a CIO Honesty Integrity Leadership Mentoring Open, frank communications, “open door” Recognition of IT as a support area Judgment
Understanding issues in context (“the big picture”), political dimensions/consequences, etc.
Resolving disagreements and problems Escalating issues when appropriate to senior management and
committees Ensuring adequate discovery and dialogue before embarking
upon a new initiative
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A CIO’s 5 Questions for any Project Are the project objectives aligned with the
institution’s strategic imperatives? How does the project benefit the
academic/research environment? How are the systems secured? How are the data secured? How can it be implemented so as to minimize
ongoing staff support?
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Then
“OK, staff, go forth and do good work.”
In other words, “CIO, get out of the way, and let the experts shine.”
Also, have an excellent budget officer, who will keep you straight with finances (out of jail) and audit issues (out of hot water)
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Keep the ‘Ship Under Way’
A modern IT environment at an institution of higher education must be progressive Should always have a ‘new’ project underway, or
at least be planning for a new project Sometimes have to shed an older service in order
to accomplish this Use a good governance structure to help make
these decisions More later
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The 4 C’s of a CIO – Version #1 Communication Cooperation Commitment
Putting in the time to do it right Caring
About the institution, and about individuals at the institution
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The 4 C’s of a CIO – Version #2 Communication Communication Communication Communication
The one thing that we are accused of doing very poorly…
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Communication Example 1
Maintenance notification: The system is going down for maintenance to apply patch 3.759.42b, requiring a system reboot and a database reboot. The system will be down to patch the OS, the file system, and the drivers for the SAN.
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Another Version
In an effort to provide you a better RamCT environment, we will be taking the system off line for maintenance from 7 AM to 9 AM on Saturday morning to apply a patch that will improve system stability, and improve download speeds. We have diligently tested the patch, and expect no problems. Should you experience any problems afterwards, please do not hesitate to contact the help desk at 555-help. Thank you for your support as we improve our IT environment.
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Peter Drucker
Are we doing the right things?
Are we doing things right?
ALWAYS periodically measure both aspects via evaluation forms and surveys On-line surveys OK, but augment with less ‘sterile’
phone interviews and focus groups We all know we need to do this, but don’t do
enough of it
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IT Governance
Driven/determined by institutional culture To set and manage strategic directions High administrative support
Policy-setting committee chaired by the Provost/SVP The CIO is a member (maybe ex officio) Representative VP’s, Deans, Faculty Responsible for ‘wisdom’ – IT can be the wrong solution to
an ill-defined problem, especially of a ‘human’ nature Subordinate operational practice body chaired by
the CIO Both operate according to the “CIO’s 5 questions” Should keep minutes and policies – ‘transparency’
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Management
To implement the strategic directions determined by IT Governance
Management styles The 2 styles in which to manage workload and services
Charge back, setting rates so supply = demand Benefit is suboptimal, controlled by costs
Alignment & prioritization of initiatives, when centrally funded Prevent abuse of “free” resources
Both styles are equally bad & equally good At times, a mix achieves the best result
“Free core services,” charge for ancillary services: printing, materials, etc. driven by consumables
The most important factor is that the institution needs to choose, and it needs to be Aligned with the institution’s culture and environment
Typically, a 25-year cycle of flip-flop in styles
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Management’s Accountability Are projects on time, and within budget
“One free pass” Are benefits of projects realized? Is complexity for the user minimized?
“Brain dead, dumb ass simple” is often the best approach
Its OK to put an appropriate level of responsibility on the user, and on decentralized IT staff
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Staffing
Is a resource, the most precious resource we have, that needs to be managed and supported Maintain a highly productive work environment Maintain high morale by not only doing good, but by
doing well Minimize ‘burn out’ Put staff in places where they can not only succeed
but thrive Be positive, rather than negative
Especially when implementing State Classified mandates, performance evals, etc….
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Staffing (cont’d)
“Always make friends with someone you’d like to camp with.” – T. Roosevelt, circa 1900.
Hire people like ourselves – overachieving masochists!!! We are a self-selective group.
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Managing Superior Staff
Hire the best Form a cohesive management team Invest in and spend time with your best/strongest staff, not the
problem/weakest staff – return is much greater Point them in the right direction
Be Socratic – ask questions so as to ensure in your mind and your ‘gut’ that the approach is viable and correct
Get out of their way Often, this latter is the most difficult for managers, ceding control
Make sure we learn from our mistakes Good CIO’s acknowledge and accept blame for mistakes
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Other Management Practice
Ensure staff understand and appreciate how the project or effort benefits the campus
Give staff interesting, new projects Encourage and support staff development Offer opportunities for advancement
Strategically target overachievers for upgrades Balance the budget by hiring at lower levels, and bringing
staff up through the ranks (depends on institutional culture/practice)
Fund staff appreciation events (tax deductible)
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Blame and credit
Failures are yours to own, not your staff’s
Successes are your staff’s, credited by you to them, freely and gratefully
However, occasionally, you should challenge them privately, “We can do better here, and we should be doing better here, to the benefit of the institution.”