The 9 12 Secrets of a Great IT Organization: Don't Do IT Yourself by Paul Ingevaldson

Author:Paul Ingevaldson [Ingevaldson, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Gary Slavin
Published: 2012-06-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Commitment to Training

If I were an aspiring IT worker interviewing for a new position today, the first question I would ask my prospective new employer would be about the company training program. The reason is simple, the IT industry changes technology as quickly as any industry around today. What is current one year is passé the next. This “ever-changeability” is part of the reason why users have a hard time understanding the typical IT practitioner because technological terms and jargon are always in a state of flux.

Despite its effect on the user community, language reflects the “state of the art.” Technology tradeoffs are changing every day as cost benefit calculations spike to ever-higher levels. The only way to keep ahead of the curve is to be sure that the internal IT department is up to date with what is going on in the industry. This is Secret #6.

Staying up to date begins with the CIO and travels down throughout the organization. New technologies should be routinely discussed in staff meetings so everyone is apprised of the latest advancements and how these changes could be used to help the company. This type of discussion will migrate down the organization and move into the user community when discussions about the future begin in earnest prior to the IT Steering Committee selection meeting.

This will also signal to the entire organization that IT is constantly learning and keeping abreast of the latest and greatest developments to ensure the company stays competitive. In my experience, it is sometimes IT personnel who are the most change-resistant people in the organization. “If it works, don’t fix it,” is their mantra and is probably a learned behavior from their early days in IT, when they were never sure exactly why some of our changes were actually working. In order to offset this type of thinking, an organization must require that the staff be exposed to outside seminars, participate in local and national user groups, and stay conversant with the major trends affecting the industry.

Having a structured training program is critical to the success of a great IT organization. The program is an indication to staff members that the company is concerned about their professional and personal growth, and wants to ensure they are able to perform to their full potential. An integral part of the training program should be a skills assessment. Everyone should be required to complete one. This assessment will be used to determine skill levels to ensure they match those required for current positions. If not, the assessment should highlight those areas requiring training and recommend specific courses. The assessment can also be used to prepare staff for promotion. In this case, courses are recommended to bring the individual up to the skill level required of the new position.

Companies must be aware that there are many available types of training, delivered in numerous ways. Let’s first talk about conferences. I would say that, unfortunately, many companies use attendance at these conferences (there are plenty) as a benefit for those that are in favor at the present time.

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