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The Director's Cut: Top 10 IT priorities for 2002
David Taylor says it's time for IT decision makers to get down to business...

By David Taylor

Published: Wednesday 23 January 2002

During the first half of January I spoke with over 80 CIOs, CEOs and other business leaders. Based on these discussions, this is my assessment of the top 10 issues and challenges being faced by IT decision makers right now and over the next few months. I have also added some actions that can be taken straight away.

1. Personal position - survival, role and status in organisation and the stress this causes

Talk and act business first. The technology doesn't matter anymore, it's what the technology does that counts. Become a leader. Be visible. Do these three and you will soar - in your present company or another. Take the initiative for your own career.

2. Cut costs without affecting service quality, being ready for when the good times roll

Focus on three key projects, making sure they deliver. Now is the time to streamline project volume and make sure your peers accept full ownership of making the benefits happen.

3. Realise the true value and benefits from existing systems

Focus on three live applications. Make sure that every single live system and application is owned, embraced, loved even, by the people using it - its successful use is in their hands, not yours.

4. Internet security for web-presence and authorisation, non-work related emails and viruses (this should be CEOs' number one priority, by far)

Security is a business issue and you can show you are a business person by resolving it. Focus on email abuse, web ordering activity and security.

5. Reduce staff and contractor numbers while retaining and motivating key people

Transform your culture - be open and know the name of everyone in your team (if you have under 100 people). Time to get rid of the negs and terrorists - the majority must not be brought down by the few. For every contractor, look for weekly return on investment and transfer those skills, fast!

6. Projects - prioritising, getting them in quicker - shortage of project management skills

Ensure your projects are owned and prioritised by the right people, by doing this yourself and publishing the list. Focus your project managers on the key skills needed for successful projects: communication, leadership and persistence.

7. Finding out the key information to make decisions

Two men are sitting in a jungle, relaxing with their feet in some water. Suddenly, noticing a tiger running towards them, one stands up, barefoot and starts running. The second puts on his training shoes. The first shouts over his shoulder: "Leave them behind, you can't outrun a tiger." The second man replies: "I don't have to outrun the tiger, I have to outrun you." Knowledge is your training shoes - find it, use it.

8. One team

Become one team by destroying any blame culture - do this by taking the blame for everything and the praise for nothing. (Praise must belong to a named person in your team.) Be open and visible, act with integrity and care for your people - they will deliver for you.

9. Forge closer links with existing customers

Look to the web. Now it must start delivering, in sales, in knowledge of customer activity and behaviour. Technologies exist that can actually predict what your customers will do on the web (customer prediction management).

10. Perception of the IT department

Make sure your customers and business partners (never call them users) catch you doing things right on a consistent basis. Make sure your outstanding communicators are externally focused and realise that you are always judged not by what you do but by what people think you do. Perception is all.

David Taylor is the president of IT directors' association Certus and a regular contributor to silicon.com.

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