Network World, 7/26/99

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In the rush to get things done day to day, it's probably not often that you have the time to stop and think about your job itself. How is it changing? What are they key things you need to focus on? How can you best prepare yourself and your company for the years ahead?

We asked six network executives to take a timeout to talk shop in a roundtable discussion that touched on topics ranging from the effect of expanded press coverage on their jobs to how they're dealing with the latest issues such as electronic commerce and convergence.

If this group is any indication, you'd best leave that TCP/IP book on the shelf and instead grab a good management manual or business book. Listening to these six professionals, it's clear that times have changed. No longer are we just talking up the importance of the IT professional who's got some business savvy. Now it's a requirement, along with strong project management skills. That's not to say you don't need to understand technology. With issues like IP convergence topping their to-do lists, that's far from the case. The point is, your role is now team leader, not chief technology guru.

Joining the discussion were: Russ Davis, assistant director for network services for Ernst & Young in New York; Mike Hinkle-Morrison, the former chief information officer at Pier One Imports and chief technology officer at TGI Friday's restaurant chain, who is currently searching for his next challenge; Gene Rindels, CIO of Respironics, Inc., a global medical device manufacturer in Pittsburgh; Brook Smith, manager of network engineering at Forum Financial Group, a mutual fund company in Portland, Maine; George Sullivan, senior network architect with the Bethpage, NY facility of Northrup Grumman, an aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Los Angeles; and George Yeager, manager of architecture and design at Columbia Energy Group Service in Columbus, Ohio.

The roundtable was moderated by Paul Desmond, who until recently was features editor of Network World. He is now vice president of King Content, a custom publishing company focusing on high technology. You can read specific sections or download and read the entire roundtable in one piece:

The press and e-commerce
What happens when non-technical execs read about the latest technology in the general media? And what impact has e-commerce had on your company in general and the network group in particular?

Convergence
If you could only focus on one network initiative for the next year, and Y2K is off the table, which one would it be?

A look ahead
What would you say are the most important steps you can take today to prepare your network for the years ahead?

Staffing and advice to vendors
What are your secrets for keeping and hiring the best people? If you could make the CEO of one vendor take your advice, which CEO would it be and what advice would you give?

Stress
I think anyone would agree that your jobs are fairly stressful. What would you say are the keys to handling that stress, and keeping your head?

The whole thing
The entire roundtable transcript.

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