The Art and Science of IT Management

Welcome to my blog, chasing the Nines. This is a column about continuous improvement, leadership, and the delivery of quality services. We’re going to explore everything from the basics of understanding your environment to offering best practices for improving your organization’s approach to infrastructure and service management. Our journey will most certainly take us down the often divergent paths of the art and science of IT management. Comments and questions from the community are always welcome!

I have spent many years in the technology industry as a customer, a vendor, a representative for a large telecommunications carrier, and as a consultant. Consistently, I have observed IT organizations of varying sizes struggle with the delta between what is expected and what they can realistically deliver. The expectations are often dynamic if leadership is not aligned and the majority of the time, the delta between the user community and the technology community can feel like you are looking across the Grand Canyon!

That being said, the “art” is really in understanding and managing what’s in between those two points of reference… The “science” is using the right tools. Last week, I was attending parent night at my child’s school. The math teacher said something that resonated with me and was directly related to how I go about my work as a management and technology consultant. He said: “In my world, there are often multiple ways to get to the right answer; some easier than others. My goal is to teach my students that they have multiple tools at their disposal and when to choose the right one”.

Thus, every organization that I have ever worked with always seems to start with the “science” – They spend an inordinate amount of time researching and comprehending all the “standards” that have been published across our industry before they really step back and take the time to do some deep introspection and figure out what they are really being asked to deliver, why, and by whom. The techniques and methodologies are voluminous – ITIL, IT Service Management, Six Sigma, and so on. The reality is that these are the guidelines, tools, and techniques to get you to the goal-line once you really understand what’s expected. So, what I am asking of you here is to consider how you can be both an artist and a scientist as you chase the nines for your organization…

Until next time, I’m going to leave you on your own to explore a few simplistic but quite possibly complex questions: Just what does your organization expect? Just how many “Nines” does your organization really need? And, what are you realistically delivering today? Go for a run, a walk, a bike ride, or, whatever you do where you can seek solace and ponder that question. I’d be willing to bet that there are multiple answers to each of those questions depending upon whom you ask. I promise that we’ll circle back on these questions and more in the coming weeks.

• Careers
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• Six Sigma
• standards
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