Step 1: Organizational Awareness
Every leader should have a detailed understanding of the roles of their team members and how their team fits within the organization. As well, they should have a general understanding of other teams and departments with which they interact. This section is largely a reference section. As a leader, you will not be required to know all of the job descriptions and the exact organizational structure, but you may often find yourself in a situation where access to this knowledge is useful.
Info-Tech Tip: Update these documents regularly – organizations and roles are constantly changing. Set a regular timeframe (e.g. quarterly, annually) by which these documents are reviewed and updated to reflect the current makeup of the enterprise.
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1.1 Include Job Descriptions for All Existing Roles
These job description templates will be used to describe the roles and responsibilities of existing employees and future hires.
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1.2 Develop and Communicate an IT Organizational Chart
The IT organizational chart will put into context the relationships and interactions of the various IT individuals and departments.
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Step 2: Team-Building
Being an effective leader requires an effective team-building strategy. Either when creating a new team or when managing existing teams, leaders should consider ways to improve team chemistry by adding or substituting team members or by managing processes and interactions of existing members. The act of evaluating a team will provide you with information that would otherwise not surface about the progress of the team members and the team as a whole. As well, when problems occur, effective leadership techniques ensure that those problems are recognized and dealt with in a timely manner.
Info-Tech Tip: Consider the process more carefully than the results. Building an effective team is an art form, so you cannot always expect the impact of your leadership to be measurable. As such, recognize that the process of evaluating and attempting to improve upon a team’s chemistry and performance is often more valuable than trying to measure the results.
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2.1 Create and Manage High-Performance Teams
Creating successful teams doesn’t just happen by chance – they're developed over time. Use the Team Selection Tool and Team Charter template to design and structure your team. The Checklist for Team Building will help you navigate the challenges that most teams experience. Finally, develop your own Employee Recognition and Reward Program to build morale and foster excellence.
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- Personality Profiling Increases IT Staff Functionality
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2.2 Include Team Optimization Processes
Sometimes a project team has deep concerns about the project or some aspect of the project, but there is no immediate consensus as to how to best solve it. These problem-solving tools will serve as team exercises to broach problems from different angles and determine the best solution.
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Step 3: Leadership Planning
All IT leaders should regularly assess their leadership skills and plan for ways to improve them. A good leader must recognize areas in which he or she would like to improve both personally and professionally and set objective targets toward achieving improvement. By taking the time to think about and document these goals, you are more likely to engage in the steps needed to improve your leadership.
Info-Tech Tip: Understand your true motivations for improvement. Do not set leadership goals just because "it’s what you’re supposed to do." Set goals that are consistent with your true motivations. You may recognize weaknesses in multiple areas, but focus on those that are in line with your personal and career objectives, and set all others aside.
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3.1 Evaluate Your Leadership Approach
Not all managers are leaders and not all leaders are managers. However, a good manager is also a good leader. Do you approach work scenarios with a leadership mentality or a managerial mentality? Either way, these leadership assessment tools will help you evaluate your current approach and suggest actions for improvement.
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- Incubate a Transparent IT Organization and Watch It Flourish
- Maximize Employee Performance with Situational Leadership
- Match Leadership Style to Employee Development Goals
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3.2 Plan for Improvement
Taking leadership evaluation to the next step is about clearly identifying areas for improvement and setting achievable goals. Objectives are not limited to formal courses, but may also include social networking opportunities, industry conferences, and more. Goals should be set in a realistic manner recognizing that in most cases, a gradual approach is more likely to occur than an overly aggressive plan. Plans should be revisited regularly and updated to account for completed, delayed, new, and abandoned goals.
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- Reduce Stress, Improve Time Control
- How to Gain and Leverage Political Savvy
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Step 4: Communicating with Business Units
All IT leaders should take appropriate steps to communicate their goals, initiatives, and strategies both internally and externally to their departments. An effective communication plan will get those within your department "on the same page," thus ensuring goals and strategies are aligned. In addition, others outside of your department will better understand your intentions and may recognize opportunities for synergistic efforts.
Info-Tech Tip: Take a direct approach. A communication plan is only valuable if it sends a clear and concise message. Avoid the temptation to pad communications with the "usual" or empty marketing fluff.
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4.1 Develop a Communication Plan
Over the course of a given year, there are specific communications that must go out to specific stakeholders. It is near-impossible to memorize what each communication entails and the timing of each. A holistic communications plan and schedule will keep you organized and ensure that meaningful communications are distributed to the right people at the right time.
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4.2 Communicate IT Departmental Goals
As a leader, you must set clear departmental goals based on a clear vision and mission so that all initiatives and strategies in which your department engages are aligned with these goals. Departmental goals should be evaluated and updated on a quarterly basis to ensure that the department is moving in the desired direction and that the stated goals remain current.
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- Managing Business Expectations of IT Projects
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4.3 Communicate IT Initiatives
The annual report is a document that reflects IT departmental accomplishments over the past year. It is also an opportunity to communicate the goals and initiatives for the upcoming year. Putting together this annual report is as much an evaluation for the previous year as it is a baseline for the next year.
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4.4 Communicate IT Operational Strategies
There are always a finite amount of financial resources. The IT operational strategies will estimate and allocate funds to the various IT initiatives. This process involves a tactical plan for the upcoming year and a strategic outlook of long-term funding.
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Job Descriptions Template
Organizational Chart
Leadership Skills Inventory
