The seismic shift in IT

I just concluded the Spring MidTech 2017 event. I got a lot out of it, met a lot of great people, and made some interesting connections. If you’ve never gone, and are a senior IT leader, I highly recommend going!

One thing that stuck out for me was the seismic shift that is going on in IT. A few years ago IT was mainly about keeping the lights on, the web page up, and the phone system running. Innovation was there, but was secondary to tactical needs.

IT has evolved, and is now expected to partner with business leaders and learn what really matters to the organization. That is not a simple task. More often than not there is an inverse relationship between what executives measure IT performance on vs what they think is important for IT. Teasing out what the business truly needs is an exercise in relationship management and statistical analysis.

IT can no longer live in their own silos. Senior IT staff and executives need to get involved with business units, learn what is important to those units, and find ways to deliver value that is directly aligned with business goals and objectives. Those who don’t, will find themselves left out of strategic discussions, made irrelevant, stuck working on tactical matters, and ultimately reporting to a new IT executive.