* An example of a collaborative IT organization
Last time, we discussed the fact that two IT organizations could use the same tools to troubleshoot performance problems, yet experience very different results based on the level of cooperation that exists within the IT organization. In particular, we described the presentation that Josh Hinkle of the American Heart Association gave at Network World’s IT Roadmap conference in Dallas earlier this month. In his presentation, Josh described an IT environment where troubleshooting occurs cooperatively among the various IT organizations. This caught our interest because we have written in the past about IT organizations that don’t troubleshoot cooperatively.
After the conference in Dallas we asked Josh a simple question: What has caused your organization to be so cooperative when so many IT organizations are not. Josh explained: “During the summer of 2006 the AHA made a bold move and consolidated 12 separate IT units into one enterprise department now known as Technology and Customer Strategies (TCS). On the surface it was obvious that we combined 162 staff, restructured our funding model and completely modified how AHA delivered technology services; for the first time we were truly a team with one consistent mission: We believe in a unified Office of Technology and Customer Strategies that creates exceptional value for the AHA through a commitment to continuous improvement.
“We accomplish this in a flexible environment of empowerment balanced with accountability. To that end, we promote professional behavior and personal growth.
“Together we have a deep understanding of the AHA and we deliver customer service as our primary goal.
“The reorganization reflects a realization that the AHA couldn’t continue our growth and meet stretch goals without better leveraging our existing resources; if we don’t continue to grow we don’t continue to compete in an increasingly competitive market. Our reorganization was about better delivery.
“Sure the reorganization served as the catalyst for accepting new ideas but it is what lies under the surface of the reorganization that is allowing us to drive to success; TCS has embraced the concept of team and we are focused on leveraging our resources to deliver business value; enter stage left: the network.
“I am only slightly biased, but I believe the network is the engine that powers the vehicle; as a result we know regardless of what is wrong ‘the network is down!’ I also believe these days it is the inherent responsibility for network managers to fine tune network roundtrip performance and return value on the company’s investment in business applications. Our reorganization was a clear sign that senior management wanted more; to me that meant engaging my peers and embracing a new strategy.
“The days in which a network professional could buy a tool primarily to prove that the problems were not in the network are beginning to be history. Most senior managers are beginning to push back and say, ‘I don’t care where the problem is, I need you to be part of finding and resolving it.’
“If my proposition is true, I am now the network salesman as much as I am the network manager. I needed to engage my peers and communicate that their problems are my problems; we are one team developing and delivering applications. My partners have been receptive with my interests in improved teamwork and the concept of sharing our team’s formerly best guarded secrets. Now I needed a tool like NetQoS that measured more than network performance; it needed to measure performance of applications across the network. Imagine if it would communicate to my partners the nature of which their applications are performing and alert them to make repairs; they have the information and now it’s up to them to do something with it right? Wrong! It’s a new world and now I need to work with my partners to fine tune the network round trip performance. Remember, the bottom line of our reorganization was to leverage resources and deliver business value. We all have a stake in delivering business value together.
“The AHA isn’t excluded from failing to collaborate effectively especially where job responsibilities separate; I would be lying if I claimed otherwise. The reorganization handed us the senior management support to improve processes and accept new ideas; we are lucky. Take the initiative to interview your business partners and find out how their business processes work; this information will help grow the network in support of the business. We all know that the business makes the money and wields the power so convince your business partners that you not only want to enable them to do business, but you actually can. Leverage those partners later. Take vendors up on free evaluations of their products to prove business value; then sell those solutions to your engaged business partners. AHA did a 30-day evaluation of NetQoS; the results were obvious and so was the business case. Network managers need to learn to lead from the middle of the organization and help others realize what we already know. ‘THE NETWORK IS NOT DOWN!’”
If we can summarize Josh, there is a collaborative environment inside AHA’s IT organization because senior IT management set that as an expectation. They have tools that give them valuable information and the members of the IT organization embraced their new roles. We want to keep this dialogue going and would like to hear from you. What has your IT organization done to become more cooperative?
