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November 23, 1999

Your letters to my print column and this E-mail forum ask some serious questions about managing information technology in today's world. Since today's world is essentially absurd, my serious responses may sometimes sound a little whimsical, and my occasional whimsical ones, serious. In any case, if you want to participate, write to me at lovelace@home.com. I'll respond to those letters that I can. I reserve the right to edit for size and content. Just sign your E-mail the way you want it to appear online.

Dear Herb:
I am a 29-year-old information systems and technology manager for a medium-sized organization. I have been in this position for almost five years. My formal education includes a bachelor's in economics and two master's in regional planning and geography. I was promoted into my current position by default because of my strong abilities with management information systems. I have built the organization up from a 25-user local area network to a 100-plus user wide area network running over eight servers with multiple applications. I am now hiring both a network/systems administrator and a database administrator. I am also trying to restructure the organization to include a technologies department.

I have two questions. The first is about my career path. I am looking to better "market" myself for other opportunities as an IT director in a larger company. I do not have any certifications, just hands-on experience. What kind of education, if any, would you recommend to improve my resume, and, overall, what qualifications best suit an IT director's position in a medium-sized organization?

Also, what are the best resources for IT restructuring in companies? I am making a strong or persuasive argument to senior staff, but there is still something missing. Currently, IT sits under the planning and development department with no direct contact with the CEO. I need some advice on where to go to provide a model approach.

Sincerely,
The Young Man

Dear Young Man:
You seem to be focusing simultaneously on two objectives. The first is to get a better job in another company. The second is to increase the visibility and scope of your present position. Neither of these goals may sit well with your employer, so you will need to make sure that your actions in achieving them do not cause your job performance to suffer in the eyes of senior management.

The best way I know of for you to prepare for a transition to a better job in another company is not necessarily through more education, but rather through a solid track record of accomplishment. The idea is to be able to answer the question, "What will you do for me if I hire you?"

Showing technical excellence is important, as is having the capability to learn quickly, but what really counts is demonstrating that if hired, you will contribute to the bottom line of the company. Make a list of what you have done that has improved service, lowered costs, and increased revenue. To prepare for that new job, initiate ideas and work on projects that achieve as many of these elements as you can.

With respect to models of how to reorganize your group, there are more options and sources than there are words on this page. I would suggest that you first write down what problems you want to solve with a reorganization and what additional specific value you wish to bring to the company. If you think you would benefit from some ideas in this area, a good new book is "Repositioning the IT Organization to Enable Business Transformation" by Carol V. Brown (Indiana University) and V. Sambamurthy (University of Maryland, College Park).

With information in hand as to what you want to achieve for your company, you can begin to study reorganization models. Talk to others in your geographic area who work in information technology to learn from their experience. To do so, consider joining the Society for Information Management chapter in your area. You'll find a wealth of knowledge and some contacts that will help you achieve both of the objectives you stated in your letter.

Dear Herb:
I am the Webmaster for a major university, and I have a master's in computer science. I am the manager for a team of graphic designers, Web-page builders, and Java coders. I also manage two additional teams that create online courses for faculty and another team that trains students for Web-designing jobs on campus. I started with nothing: no budget, no staff, no equipment, and no production models. I have created these teams out of nothing, first hiring student assistants, training them, conceiving production models that would work, creating staff positions and fighting for budget money and office space.

I greatly enjoy the challenge and flexibility my job provides, but my salary, frankly, stinks like a bottle of cheap champagne. It almost makes me want to go back and be a programmer, which was much less stressful.

My question is this: Should I expand my career by leaving, and if I do, what are my options? What's out there for someone who can create an IT department from scratch?

Sign me,
Job Happy, But Paycheck Poor, Webmaster.

Dear Job Happy:
You have asked the eternal question: Can I make lots of money and also be happy?

The answer: Sure, but there's no guarantee the next move will do it. And there is the rub.

Ideally, we all want a job that satisfies our list of priorities, but sometimes that is not so easy to achieve. So what I would suggest is that you decide how much money would make you happy in your present job, while simultaneously thinking about how much additional aggravation you are willing to accept for that amount of money.

After you have a firm understanding of the importance of money vs. job satisfaction, you can decide how to approach improving your career options. There are three, as I see it:

Ask for more money from your boss, since your track record is good.
Test the market for your value and decide whether the ideal job for you is out there.
Sit still and continue to feel underpaid.

I do not recommend option 3. You will become bitter, and your performance will ultimately suffer. Option 2 should be your first step. Based on what you learn, you can decide whether to avail yourself of Option 1.

With respect to your question about what is out there for you, I can tell you that it sounds as if you would have no trouble getting a job as either an IT manager or a skilled technical leader if you decide to leave the university.

Dear Herb:
What do you think about the loss of productivity that companies suffer when they continually reorganize and try to get work done with people who don't stay around long enough to completely learn their jobs? I see this happening more and more.

It seems that we are in a vicious cycle. Companies lay off workers at the first hint of a business downturn, and employees leave at any perceived better job offer. Has anyone thought what would happen if a company encouraged a stable work environment and actually had some loyalty to their employees, and the employees stayed around long enough to at least find out where the office supplies are kept? It would be a neat trick if someone could pull it off.

Gary K.

Dear Gary:
You make an excellent point. I know there are companies out there that are interested in keeping a stable workforce and go more than the extra mile for their employees. In fact, the most outstanding one I can think of is Malden Mills, which makes that great fabric, Polartec, used in high-quality outerwear. A few years ago, a fire destroyed a significant part of the Malden Mills production facilities. Aaron Feuerstein, the grandson the founder, kept paying his employees until the factory was back in operation, even though he risked losing everything his family had built over three generations.

I remember how touched I was when I first read about how wonderfully Malden Mills acted to its workers. To this day, Cindy and I look for the Polartec fabric label when we buy a jacket or coat.

What Feuerstein did is heart-warming and shows tremendous concern for his employees. What is sad is that it was so unusual that it was newsworthy.

The other day, I was sitting with a fellow executive. He was bemoaning the lack of employee loyalty. This same individual has reorganized his shop more times than I can count and broken promises at every turn to subordinates. Why does he act this way? I have finally concluded it's because he is interested only in his next quarter's earnings and doesn't know how to manage his organization any other way. Unfortunately, I suspect he has far too many clones in business today.

Dear Herb:
I enjoy your column immensely. In regard to the column about Microsoft: A lot of people admire Bill Gates because he is what the American dream is all about--make money, get rich, and live happily ever after. But when Bill decides to give me fewer choices by wiping out Netscape or any other company that has a good idea and thus needs to be incorporated into Windows (according to Bill), then I believe he is overstepping the bounds of "good competition."

Another one of your columns that I especially liked is the one about culture. I work for a large Canadian bank where culture comes up every once in while, and no one seems to realize that culture changes from the top.

Great to know that VPs also have problems with self-serving staff and the culture of the company.

Peter

Dear Peter:
Thanks for your letter. Actually, the columns to which you refer, "Liberate My Computer!" and "Culture, Culture, Everywhere," are related.

"Liberate My Computer!" has as its theme the idea that Microsoft costs consumers money and stifles innovation in the computer industry by leveraging its Windows monopoly. The last half of the article refers to the stunts the Redmond crew pulled in the antitrust trial. As you well know, the company showed an attitude of almost contempt for the judge and the judicial system.

In "Culture, Culture, Everywhere" the point is that the cultures of corporations are a reflection of the values and actions of their leaders and that they do not change just by saying the right words in meetings or brochures. Regardless of how many consultants you hire, the way the employees of a corporation behave is similar to how children learn: They don't listen to what you say, but they sure do watch what you do.

Microsoft has shown a culture of bend the rules, threaten and bully, win at any cost. The question is open as to whether they can make the adjustment to a less cut-throat way of competing. Changing a corporate culture is the toughest thing I can think of doing in a business. I hope senior managers (not just in Microsoft) realize, as you have said, culture changes start at the top.

Herbert W. Lovelace is CIO at a multibillion-dollar international company. Herb practices his day job under an alias and has changed the names of colleagues to protect the guilty.