Like clockwork, towards the end of the corporate fiscal year, many IT organizations get the green light. Leadership approves them to start developing strategies. They plan and set goals around key initiatives. These initiatives aim to transform the organization over the next fiscal year. This renewed focus on innovation, stability, availability, and automation, you’d think this would usher in an end to winter. Like Punxsutawney Phil predicting Spring’s arrival year after year after year!
The reality is, many organizations often find themselves stuck in a never-ending winter. They repeat the same approach and mistakes again and again. So, how do organizations lose their way in their quest for transformation? How does the gap between older IT structures and operational processes become dysfunctional? This happens even though everyone is on the same page.
One reason for this is what I call the “Fiefdom of Accountability.” Each IT group or department focuses solely on its own areas of responsibility and goals. These are not always aligned to the broader enterprise strategies. There’s this mindset of “I’ve got these great ideas for my area.” They interpret the top-down message only as it applies to their own world. While this inward focus can lead to improvements in specific areas, it can also hinder overall progress of the organization.
Departments often rush to improve their operations or services independently, thinking their improvement would help the entire technology strategy. This near-sided approach can hinder overall organization efficiency. For instance, delivering quality products or services may need collaboration from multiple teams. If each team focuses on its own, it limits the organization’s overall innovation derived from improved integrated services. After all, who can realize true business-aligned strategic value if everyone manages problems in isolation?
This is the stage where teams like IT Business Management focus on Strategy, Portfolio Management, and IT Finance. They are often separate from IT Operational Functions during this period. Effective coordination between these areas ensures oversight. It also confirms that the overall Technology Strategy & roadmap is delivered with a balance between Strategy & Operations. That balance is often missing from the Strategy. This omission results in a constant push-pull between what is more achievable for the Strategy and the Operational requirements.
Year after year, Organizations set their strategies (what they want to achieve). They plan a budget and start planning for the next set of programs or projects. This planning is done without having the visibility of what has to be resourced. There is also no acknowledgment of what is needed to “Keep the Lights On (KTLO)”. This is where strategies often fail.
Not enough resources are available to actually deliver the initiatives because operations have to keep things moving day-to-day. I have been in many conflicts. I tried to explain that I had no resources available to support Strategic Projects. This was because we were at max capacity on Operational Projects and managing the day-to-day workload.
Investment must be made in these “Back office” IT functions. This will lend insight into Resource and Skill Management. It will also offer the capacity to run the business and drive strategic innovation.
Leadership support and investment in these areas is key as a starting point for any transformation or operational enhancements. Transformation isn’t just about being accountable in one area. It involves being accountable to the Business Sponsor/Customers. It also requires accountability to the people expected to deliver the services they were hired to deliver. Additionally, these individuals must have the capacity to deliver to the Strategic Outcomes that are updated every year.
Just keep this in mind. Organizations are starting to come out of their shells. They are looking to jump into their own spring of transformation. If not, like Punxsutawney Phil, you’ll just see your shadow, and face more time in the cold dark than you wanted.
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