The Manage IT Newsletter - Sustaining ITO Team Peak Performance:

In this issue we will focus on how IT managers can attain and sustain peak levels of performance in today's tough business environment, where heavy workloads are generating low morale at the same time job market demands are increasing and offering “greener” pastures

Dear Friends,

In this issue we will focus on how IT managers can attain and sustain peak levels of performance in today's tough business environment. As the number of projects hitting the table continue to increase, resource constrained IT organizations need more than just a burst of extra effort over a few weeks to keep up. They need to be able to ratchet up to a higher level of sustainable performance. This is a tall order when you consider the low levels of morale among IT professionals at most companies and the increase in job opportunities that beckons your team members to jump ship as employment demand continues increasing. (By the way, if you are thinking that demand for IT professionals is still relatively weak due to global outsourcing and rumors of layoffs by companies such as HP, think again. A number of ITO employees are starting to go to greener non-ITO pastures). So what can you do? Actually, you can do a lot. Read this month's article and find out more.

For more resources to help you with you career and work strategies see the resources section at the end of this newsletter. Also, please share this newsletter with your network, friends and colleagues. If you are an IT executive, training professional or HR professional, pass a copy of this newsletter on to your IT managers and team members. A FREE subscription is available by sending a blank email to:
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With warmest regards,
Joe Santana,
Co-author Manage IT
http://www.manageitbook.com
**************************In this Issue ****************************
Focus Topic - Sustaining ITO Team Peak Performance
Resources for your career and business
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--------------------------- Focus Topic -----------------------------

Sustaining ITO Team Peak Performance

Take a look around any company today and you will see the signs of turnover building across a number of jobs and professions. Clearly, we are feeling the presence of the long predicted talent wars. Not surprising, many IT pros have started to migrate toward "greener" non-IT pastures. (Women, most notably, according to a recent article are leaving the IT profession in droves). I say this is not surprising, when in addition to fact that the demand for IT professionals is not as high as it was during the boom years, disengagement and low morale among IT workers appears to be higher than in other professions. (For more on this topic see my independent "ITO Employee Opinions Survey" at http://www.joesantana.com/2005%20ITO%20Employee%20Survey%20Results.pdf). Again another fact that is not overly surprising when we consider the ever-increasing workload demands.

So the question to you is this: As IT workloads increase and greener pastures beckon a generally unhappy group of professionals, what can you retain your top talent and sustain the highest levels of IT team performance? The answer fortunately is plenty. As many studies conducted by organizations such as Gallup show again and again, the relationship with the direct manager is one of the most important factors in maintaining high-employee engagement, which in turn results in high- sustained productivity and retention.

It is with this in mind that in my latest CIO Update column, titled "Keeping your staff at peak performance" (http://www.cioupdate.com/career/article.php/3519891), I invite ITO managers and leaders to consider the following advice as means of becoming more engaging and producing higher levels of sustained productivity:

* Make sure you are providing clear goals that link your team to larger ITO/business objectives, so as to give you and them focus on areas of high impact as well as a sense of being part of your team instead of just arms and backs. Strive to communicate in terms of the outcomes you want versus just the tasks you want people to perform in order to avoid getting them caught in "activity traps." (People in an activity trap, often see no connection between what they do and why they do it and they are therefore incapable of making sound adjustments when needed). Also identify how to share the rewards of success with your team and communicate these as well.

* If you are a leader or manager, who has the power to promote people into supervisory roles where they manage other people, pick people to manage others that are singularly good at identifying the talents and passions of others and leveraging them to the maximum. There are few things that will hurt your productivity and upset more people on your team than placing a poor manager over them. The new manager will be unhappy because managing is not the work they want to do and they people they manage will be unhappy because of the blunders this person will be sure to make.

* Likewise, hire individual contributors that are naturally gifted at doing what you need done. Simply put "don't hire a chicken and ask them to perform like a squirrel." Look for people that are naturally gifted and passionate about doing what you need done. When you reorganize (notice how I don't say "if you reorganize"), be mindful of placing people in new roles that continue to play to their strengths.

* Don't de-motivate your people. While many managers concern themselves with being motivating, the fact is that studies show people are generally self-motivated. What, therefore, managers need to focus on is not motivating people, but rather channeling their motivation and not de-motivating them. Don't engage a person that is a self-starter in a project where you intend to tightly call all the shots.

* Here is a big one: Promote work/life balance. All break-neck work and no play as studies show results in diminishing productivity and lead to disengagement and burnout. A few well-selected rest points can do much to increase productivity as well as your ability to sustain optimal output.

In summary, if you want to keep your team intact and super-charged, invest more of your time and focus on being a "people-engaging" manager.

For more details on this topic, I invite you to read "Keeping your staff at peak performance" (http://www.cioupdate.com/career/article.php/3519891),

See below for more resources on this and other IT professional and management topics.

As always, my best toward your continued success!

JS

--------------- Resources for your career and business ----------------

NEED A SEMINAR LEADER FOR YOUR NEXT LIVE OR WEB EVENT BASED SEMINAR, EXECUTIVE BREIFING OR FORUM EVENT?
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE WEEKLY UPDATES ON TRENDS AND EVENTS THAT IMPACT YOUR IT CAREER & PRACTICES?
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I hope you enjoyed this issue of the IT Managers Newsletter and as always I look forward to continuing to serve you.