Dear Herb:
I thought you might be amused to know that at a recent director's meeting, our CIO asked why so many people seemed to be confused about his name. It seems that he has been called "Charlie" on several occasions, when his name is actually Chuck.

We all did a fine job of feigning surprise while hiding our smiles. Your article, " Concepts Don't Fix Problems ," was the subject of more copying, URL-sharing and general discussion than any of us can ever remember. The article even made its way to other departments and has become a little part of our organizational culture...sort of like Dilbert.

Want to make any guesses about our CIO?

Thanks for your column, you have lots of fans here.

Margaret

Dear Margaret:
Thanks for your letter. It brought a smile to my face. I could envision the director's meeting. It must have been a blast.

To increase your fun, your might even want to share the column with your clueless boss. Doing so is not as risky as it might seem. Most Charlies don't even recognize how they act. They figure that they have the rest of us fooled. That is what makes it so delicious to write about them.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of Charlies out there in the world. One of life's great mysteries is why people hire so many incompetent managers. Now, that's the basis for at least one more column!

Martin

Dear Martin:
No company that I know of will promote someone into management solely on the basis of the number of degrees that he possesses. If you think that the degree will provide you with educational training that will help you lead people, then go for it. Otherwise, try to get some serious experience under your belt that will demonstrate that you have the talent to motivate a team and get the job done.

Fidel

Dear Fidel:
The single most important skill in a sales or marketing position is the ability to relate to the customer. Remember that you have to give the prospective buyer a reason for wanting to buy from you. To prove that you can sell to a customer, you first have to sell yourself to the company that might hire you.

The selling skills are more difficult to learn, in my opinion, than the technical side of the business. Unless you feel that you have mastered them, I would concentrate on them rather than on technical experience. After all, it is unlikely that you will learn the exact technical skills needed by your new company, but understanding how to deal with people is a reasonably transferable talent.

I've worked in about six companies during this time (through mergers, closings and layoffs) across numerous industry lines. To date, I consider myself a generalist that can easily pick up the technical or business end of things as necessary to complete a job. My favorite description of myself is, "Jack of all IT trades, master for the moment." I started consulting about five months ago (for better pay and a more stable employer). I just don't know where to go next.

I'd like to settle down with a company into a management position from the director level or up. What is the best method to go about seeking this more simplistic life?

L.

Dear L.:
Oh, that it were so easy! You've got a great goal, and I hate to be the one to break the bad news to you, but there are two major problems with it.

The first obstacle with your plans is that it not at all easy to go from a technical job to a management position "from the director level or up," especially from a spot as an outside technical consultant. Those jobs almost always go to a person with lower-level management experience. (I would drop the "almost" from my statement, but, who knows, maybe somewhere, someone once made that leap.)

The second problem with your objective is the assumption that management is a more simplistic life. I suspect that next week, I am going to receive a lot of mail from managers who want to know where these no-strain jobs are. I have a feeling that their correspondence will overwhelm the ones I get that confirm your image of the position. In fact, it should not surprise you that some people are forsaking the management track to get back to technical work because they simply do not want the hassle. Several CIOs that I know have given up their perceived prestigious jobs to work either as management consultants or as hands-on technical specialists. They tell me that they are happier and think they will live longer.

So, after all that, if the jobs are hard to get and they are a pain once you get there, why do people still want them? Well, there are a few reasons. The first is that, in general, they pay more than the pure technical jobs. The second is that many people view management jobs as having more status than non-managerial positions.

In some companies, however, this viewpoint of the desirability of the supervisory route is changing with the implementation of dual career ladders in which the technical promotion path can match the salaries and rarefied job titles of the higher management positions. From a company's point of view, as well as the individual's, it's a lot better for people to have options in their career paths; you get to keep good people while improving the productivity of your overall organization. Giving them meaningful alternativ es in their professional lives is a good way to do so.

I'd prefer to start my own business but would also spend time learning "the lines (ropes)" at a company that encourages creativity and independence. Can you recommend some reading or someone to talk to about matching real estate experience with a new career in telecommuting?

Thanks,
RSG

Dear RSG:
Since your are thinking about a telecommuting career, probably the best way of getting started is to check out the opportunities on the Web for employment. One site you might look at is Telecommuting Net Links at http://telecommuting.miningco.com , which will give you the opportunity to chat with other telecommuters. Another place to begin is one of the Geocities pages, Home Employment, at http://www.geocities.com/heartland/point/8616/jobs.html . When you are ready to strike out on your own, you can post your resume for $5 on Will Work For Food at http://www.2020tech.com .

As you begin to get a feel for what interests you and want to know what it is like to work in the information technology field, you will find the Society of Information Management is an excellent source for general information. They have chapters throughout the United States and would welcome your inquiries.

To "learn the ropes at a company that encourages creativity and independence," I think is best done the old way, by trying to get a job with one of them. From that point, you can start your own business after you have the experience that you desire.

Had I been reading your columns much sooner, I may have made the same mistakes, but at least I would have been making them from choice and not ignorance. Please continue to submit these great articles, because there is a least one person out here who is learning a lot from them.

Regards,
TND

Dear TND:
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate your opinion that had you been reading the column much sooner, your level of knowledge about the impact of your personal choices would have increased. It certainly makes me feel really good that you think you've been able to learn something from my musings. Like you, I prefer when my mistakes are deliberate. That way, at least I can feel noble or at least independent as I do something that will get me in hot water.

Actually, had I gotten the experience earlier that is necessary for me to write those same columns, I would have been ahead of the game. As much as you believe that you've picked up something useful from The Secret CIO, having lived most of the stuff about which I write has made one very lasting impression on me and my daily decisions.