InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
Herbert W. Lovelace has been sharing his experiences as the CIO of a multi-billion dollar international company with InformationWeek readers for some years now. Wisely, he changes most names, including his own, to protect the guilty. Herb claims that any resemblance of his characters -- such as Sid Gornish, CFO and Darth Vader of the executive suite, and Kratmeyer, head of International Operations and resident corporate snake -- to actual people or fractions thereof, is purely intentional.
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Secret CIO: Resist Temptation: Don't Push That Hot Button
InformationWeek, January 02, 2006 Our country's political discourse is interesting in a perverse sort of way. The dialogue is reminiscent of what happens during my company's executive committee budget-review meetings. In both processes, participants spend a huge amount of time on arguments aimed at fixing the blame for what went wrong while concurrently trying to grab the credit for what little has gone right. Secret CIO: Early Adopters Must Balance Pros And Cons InformationWeek, December 05, 2005 Secret CIO: Smart Systems Suffer From Dumb Processes InformationWeek, November 07, 2005 Secret CIO: Do Your Own Job Or I'll Promote You InformationWeek, October 10, 2005 Secret CIO: The Case Of The Cubicle Conundrum InformationWeek, September 12, 2005 Treading on the turf of building services can be very humbling. Secret CIO: Shut Off Options At Your Own Risk InformationWeek, August 08, 2005 Pre-empting decisions can cut off valuable discussion at the top. Secret CIO: Privacy Smart And Customer Stupid InformationWeek, July 04, 2005 It would be a wonderful world if common sense were more common. Secret CIO: Listen To The People On Your Front Line InformationWeek, June 20, 2005 Employees do just what you pay them to do -- and that's the problem. Secret CIO: Four Steps To Make Big Projects Work InformationWeek, May 23, 2005 With systems, if you can't explain it easily, don't implement it. Secret CIO: The Ethical Path Isn't Always Winning Route InformationWeek, April 18, 2005 Don't assume doing the right thing will be rewarded at a company. Secret CIO: Mentoring Has Own Rewards--And Risks InformationWeek, March 21, 2005 It's not in anyone's best interest to single out the wrong person. Secret CIO: Password Complexity Puts Security At Risk InformationWeek, February 21, 2005 Even the best system can fail when people have to remember too much Secret CIO: Tech Advances Keep Travelers Connected InformationWeek, January 31, 2005 The daily grind keeps us from appreciating the changing horizon. Secret CIO: Business Savvy Is Key To IT Success InformationWeek, January 03, 2005 We need to stop seeking the impossible dream of business alignment. Secret CIO: Five Rules For An Effective IT Strategy InformationWeek, November 15, 2004 Making The I.T. shop a strategic business partner isn't that hard. Secret CIO: Winning Projects Must Flow To Bottom Line InformationWeek, October 25, 2004 In getting support, remember that bonuses depend on profits. Secret CIO: Outsourcing Isn't Always The Answer InformationWeek, October 04, 2004 Forget the silver bullet: The headache remains even if you outsource. Secret CIO: He Doesn't Like You, Just Because InformationWeek, September 27, 2004 Secret CIO: How To Get Superstars On Your Help Desk InformationWeek, August 30, 2004 Track user satisfaction continuously: Use metrics to find hot buttons Secret CIO: Superior IT Service? Get Help-Desk Superstars InformationWeek, July 12, 2004 For happy clients, put best problem-solvers on the front lines. Secret CIO: The Backstabber Gets His Comeuppance InformationWeek, June 21, 2004 It's difficult to feel sorry for someone who richly deserves his fate. Secret CIO: Fix The Problem, Not The Blame InformationWeek, June 07, 2004 Focus on learning from mistakes and preventing a repeat performance. Secret CIO: Build The System And They Shall Come InformationWeek, May 24, 2004 Save us from those who seek to solve problems they haven't defined. Secret CIO: You're Wrong, And Don't Confuse Me With Data InformationWeek, April 19, 2004 Some people make up their minds, then look for supporting facts Secret CIO: Another Outsourcing Done Him Wrong Song InformationWeek, March 29, 2004 Secret CIO: Who Should Lead The Fight Against Spam? InformationWeek, February 23, 2004 To defeat spam, we must first agree on who owns the problem Secret CIO: Our CEO Has A Vision For The Future InformationWeek, February 02, 2004 Picking a direction is easy; getting there successfully is another story. Secret CIO: Live Your Dream: This Year, Become CIO InformationWeek, January 26, 2004 Pointers on getting a job you may one day wish you had avoided Secret CIO: 'I've Never Had A Bad Performance Appraisal' InformationWeek, December 08, 2003 Giving an honest performance review is no way to win friends Secret CIO: Trapped In The Sales Presentation From Hell InformationWeek, November 10, 2003 Helping on the business side proves to be an exercise in frustration Secret CIO: Telling The Truth Is The Best Motivator InformationWeek, October 20, 2003 Forget the leadership books, people want to know what's going on. Secret CIO: A Picnic To Improve Company Morale InformationWeek, October 06, 2003 I wonder how many employees were let go to pay for this idea Secret CIO: Expense Cuts Put Everyone To The Test InformationWeek, August 04, 2003 If you show your loyalty, your staff will return the favor Secret CIO: Cut The Budget--Or Cut The People InformationWeek, July 14, 2003 The economy may be recovering, but cost-cutting continues. Secret CIO: A Modest Proposal To Defeat Spam InformationWeek, June 30, 2003 Secret CIO: Criticize The Plan To Sidetrack The Proposal InformationWeek, May 05, 2003 One person's flexible strategy is another's imprecise plan. Secret CIO: This Layoff Pays For Everyone Involved InformationWeek, March 31, 2003 Sometimes, the cost is worth it and the payback immeasurable Secret CIO: That's Tradition, Not A Business Process InformationWeek, January 06, 2003 Sometimes, the tried-and-true slows down the here-and-now. Secret CIO: Vendors Are Your Friends, Just Ask Them InformationWeek, December 02, 2002 Consider: trust, but verify, when working with salespeople. Secret CIO: Information Alone Isn't Business Intelligence InformationWeek, October 21, 2002 The golden ring goes to those who present Just what is needed. Secret CIO: Beware The Blog In Your Company's Future InformationWeek, September 09, 2002 The last thing you want are uncontrolled and ever-expanding records of individual activities. Secret CIO: But It's A Business Favor, Herb, Not Ethics InformationWeek, August 12, 2002 The only bright side was that he was in my office because no one in our IT shop would help. Secret CIO: Technical Feasibility Isn't Business Viability InformationWeek, July 15, 2002 Woe to the CIO who thinks a prototype is proof of concept - or vice versa Secret CIO: A Death In The Family, A Pause, And Life Moves On InformationWeek, June 10, 2002 Sometimes, we don't appreciate that the people we work with are more than just personnel. Secret CIO: Today A CIO; Tomorrow, Perhaps, The World? InformationWeek, April 22, 2002 It's rational for an aspiring CIO to expect that his or her career path can lead to CEO. Ask The Secret CIO: Boss Decisions InformationWeek, March 19, 2002 In his reader mail, Herb tackles software piracy on the job, switching careers, leadership, and avoiding office politics. Secret CIO: Dressing For Success In A Tough Economy InformationWeek, March 18, 2002 As jobs get harder to find and keep, more people are dressing up, not down Ask The Secret CIO: Bad Managers And The Sinking Ship InformationWeek, March 04, 2002 Herbert W. Lovelace responds to readers who need advice about coping with a bad manager, managers who permit office infighting, and figuring out which questions to ask vendors. Ask The Secret CIO: Be Careful With That Ax, Eugene InformationWeek, February 18, 2002 Responding to reader questions, this time Herb tackles CRM success, determining who'll be a good manager, coping with annoying cell phone users, and marketing outsourcing services. As usual, the Secret CIO accomplishes all this with good humor and an uncommon degree of wisdom. Secret CIO: It's Time To Slam Spam Once And For All InformationWeek, February 11, 2002 |
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