Simply put, every strategist, including the CIO, is faced with the “stay the course” or “cut and run” choice at least once in their career. Usually, it is many more times than one!
The strategist’s, in this case IT Strategist’s,dilemma is: should I do as planned or change the plan?
In answering this question, there is the risk of prematurely and incorrectly changing a strategic plan that would have worked. There is also an acknowledgement that a carefully crafted strategic plan did not stand the test of time i.e. somehow, somewhere the CIO failed. Is this the right conclusion to draw? I don’t agree.
No matter how hard you try, the unexpected will happen. In today’s dynamic business environment, the only constant is change. Economies and industries change. Disruptive technologies appear on the horizon. Competitors change or they change tactics. Internal capabilities change. The list is endless.
These unanticipated changes are not a sign of failure of your plan. But they do require a response. That is where the strength or weakness of a plan is tested.
So what do you do when faced with change? Do you continue with the playbook? Do you punt? Do you modify the playbook?
The simple answer is to be flexible. This agility often determines the success or failure of an IT strategy.
But this is easier said than done. Agility depends on three key things. Let us look at each and see how.
Crafting a Vision for IT (Monday, August 21, 2006) What is the purpose of a vision statement for IT? This article examines how a vision can accelerate the business value generated by an IT Organization.
IT Strategy: IT Cannot be a Profit Center (Friday, September 08, 2006) IT Strategy: Of late, there is a lot of emphasis on IT ROI. While this is commendable, extending this argument to convert the IT Organization into a profit center is taking it to another extreme. For example, are HR, finance, and marketing profit centers? Why not?
IT Value Mapping (Friday, September 08, 2006) Why do some IT organizations create unprecedented shareholder value, while others earn the contempt of their business leaders? It is no secret that aligning IT with business improves IT ROI, what is often in doubt is how to make it happen. Can you say with certainty that your IT is aligned with business? Can you prove it? If improving IT ROI is an imperative for you, read on. This paper will show you how to improve ROI by 10% or more…and
IT Strategy Course (Friday, September 08, 2006) At the end of the day, most business leaders agree that alignment is critical, but they don't know how to achieve that goal. This course discusses the challenges of aligning IT with business in depth and presents a differentiated approach and framework.
IT Strategy Framework (Monday, September 25, 2006) IT Strategy requires a process and a framework. The former provides the steps and the latter the toolkit. Together they help an organization get to an IT Strategy that maximizes IT ROI. This article addresses the latter.
What is IT Strategy? (Saturday, October 14, 2006) There are many definitions of IT Strategy. Which one is true?
Talk to Me: The Disconnect Between Business and IT (Monday, May 07, 2007) The disconnect between business and IT is often lamented. A lot is spoken and written about this chasm. Ostensibly, a lot is done to bridge it. Yet, most would agree the chasm still exists.
Why IT ROI doesn't matter? (Friday, November 03, 2006) Does IT ROI matter? Great many intelligent people are spending sleepless nights and countless dollars calculating IT ROI. The author argues that they are wasting their time and shareholder dollars!
Achieving and Sustaining Business and IT Alignment (Thursday, November 16, 2006) This article was originally published in 1999. However, it is on the money even today. Authors Jerry Luftman and Tom Brier walk through the issue of business and IT Alignment with specific examples and advice on how to achieve this goal. A must read!
7 Steps to Business and IT Alignment (Monday, November 20, 2006) No business will ever reach the goal of “business and IT alignment”. Should this discourage you from pursuing business and IT alignment? NO! It is a worthy goal to pursue. Indeed, it is a critical one to pursue. You might never reach alignment but you can take steps to get ever closer. This requires a process. Often, we ignore the fact that business and IT alignment is a process. This process does not have a starting point nor does it have an end. It is a series of “learn and do” cycles that incrementally get towards alignment. Let me explain.
IT Strategy Template (Friday, January 12, 2007) Enclosed is a simple template to create an IT Strategy for your organization. This is intended to be the starting point not a definitive or exhaustive workbook on creating an IT Strategy.
7 Signs of Trouble in Paradise (Monday, February 26, 2007) Ever wonder what happens when business and IT are not aligned? Well, like most other things in life, there are symptoms of misalignment. Monitoring them and analyzing them can help you avert disaster.
Talk to Me: The Disconnect Between Business and IT (Tuesday, May 08, 2007) The disconnect between business and IT is often lamented. A lot is spoken and written about this chasm. Ostensibly, a lot is done to bridge it. Yet, most would agree the chasm still exists.
Avoiding the Alignment Trap (Sunday, September 09, 2007) Alignment is an issue but are you focused on the right strategy to fix it?
eStrategy: Changing Course (Wednesday, September 19, 2007) When is it time to change strategy? How do you know it? These are tough questions to answer but here is an example of how New York Times did it.
Enabling the Strategy Focused Organization (Monday, January 14, 2008) Is IT Value compromised because of the strained relationship between business and IT? How can the CIO overcome this challenge?
IT Strategist as a Race Car Driver? (Tuesday, February 12, 2008) Learning from Mario Andretti sounds like fun but what has that got to do with IT Strategy? Read on!
Influences on IT Strategy (Monday, March 03, 2008) Excellent overview of IT Strategy and things that have an influence on its outcome. Must read!
IT Strategy For Business Value (Monday, March 10, 2008) The paper presents a framework for developing an IT Strategy for business value.
IT Strategy Framework with SOA (Monday, March 10, 2008) A very good presentation that takes IT Strategy to solutions architecture using SOA. Good read!
Developing an IS/IT Strategy (Monday, March 17, 2008) A very good presentation on developing an IT Strategy. Must Read!
A Framework for Developing IT Strategy (Monday, March 17, 2008) A very good discussion on developing IT Strategy including detailed steps and explanations. Must Read!
IT Strategy for the Law Firm (Monday, March 17, 2008) A presentation on the challenges facing CIOs at law firms and how to create an IT Strategy to overcome them.
Measuring IT Success at the Bottom Line (Monday, May 05, 2008) IT business value (ITBV) program provides a customer-focused, data-driven IT investment decision making process and framework for measuring and evaluating IT products, services, and support in terms that reflect business benefits. Read On...
Managing for Shareholder Value in difficult times (Monday, June 02, 2008) Is there "managing" to anything else? Read this excellent discussion on how everything in an enterprise should be managed.
Case Study: Strategic Use of Information Technology (Monday, July 07, 2008) Can you imagine a world without Google? I for one can't imagine one without Microsoft. Microsoft's bugs make Google indispensible!
The History and Future of Value Management (Monday, July 07, 2008) An excellent presentation on measuring and managing "value" - discusses various frameworks. MUST READ!
A Framework for Strategic IT Alignment (Monday, September 15, 2008) Is IT Alignment a strategic weapon to gain competitive advantage? Duh! But do you know to what extent information intensity affects competitive advantage? Hmm...
The Strategy Cycle (Friday, October 24, 2008) Often, the talk about the connection between Business and IT Strategy does not translate into action. At other times, IT Strategy is devised in isolation. This is a good discussion on the big picture of strategy in an organization - soup to nuts framework to connect ALL the organizations strategic processes, people and technology. Good Read!
DAM/VAM: A Structured Methodology for Developing and IT Strategy (Monday, November 17, 2008) Demand and value assessment methodology is a structured approach to quantifying the demand for and the value from IT investments. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to implementing DAM/VAM. Excellent Read!
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