Over the years I've found that many executives simply don't have a fully formed notion of how Information Technology contributes to their businesses and it's not surprising. Most executives earned their way into their positions by focusing on their own professional specialties rather than worrying about the influence of technology on their work. Moreover, when they encounter technology, it's often times in the context of projects where they are asked to make decisions based on very narrow and detailed minutia which can be confusing and detracts from the larger picture. The result? Executives that avoid technology until it's out of control in their businesses and, when they do get involved, they simply don't understand what to expect or how to partner with their I.T. colleagues in establishing an actionable criteria for successful initiatives.
And it's the problem above that this series of articles sets out to correct, and it is very correctable without diving into obscure jargon, confusing details and the labyrinth of buzzwords that are best left to technology professionals. The advice given in these articles is the distillation of the author's direct experiences in the field helping companies through these issues as well as his research into managing information technology as the strategic business investment that it should be.
