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November 7, 2005
10 things you should know about being a
great IT manager
By Janice Ward
IT Managers can easily get caught up in day-to-day operations and activities and lose sight of important management
behaviors. Whether you're a new or seasoned manager, the following suggestions can help you be a great IT manager.
Spend time (and money) developing your people. – IT is a constantly changing field and many IT workers
love to learn about new and improving technologies. For many, learning is not just enjoyable, but is necessary
to do the best job possible. IT Managers should budget for training and development and encourage staff to
participate in events whenever possible. If your budget is tight, explore free regional presentations and workshops, set-
up in-house training and get creative with your development dollars. Don’t forget about cross-training exercises as well.
Even in a large IT group, there are jobs which only one person does routinely. Make sure others know what to do if that
person were suddenly gone for an extended period.
Get to know what your staff really does. – Although you don't need to master every task your staff handles
(see Item 3), you should understand your staff's normal work routine. If you aren't already, familiarize yourself
with each person's responsibilities. Ask team members to explain and demonstrate important tasks--such as
data backups. I once had an existing IT employee transferred to my sub-group. Immediately after the transfer, I began
working with the individual to learn their job role. One month after the transfer, during a key production period, the
employee suffered simultaneous tragedies--a parent died and the employee developed pneumonia. With no direct
backup, I jump in and accomplished the job with the knowledge I had learned during the first month and a great deal of
help from others. As a result, I gained a great deal of respect from the employee who had previously suffered negative
experiences with management. Understanding what your staff does not only increases their level of respect for you, but
it also makes you more credible as a manager when faced with difficult situations or decisions.
Don’t do it for them. – If you move from an “in the trenches” IT worker to a management role, avoid the
tendency to take the reins too quickly. Your knowledge and skill level may exceed your employees', but you
must help your staff learn and grow. There is a fine line between coaching and doing. A good manager will
know the difference. While there may be an initial training period where you are more involved in doing the day to day
work, use appropriate delegation and training strategies to move the work into your staff’s capable hands. If you are new
to delegation procedures, read Steven Watson's TechRepublic article, New managers must learn what and how to
delegate.
Know the business and make sure they know you. – It is almost cliché to say it, but all IT managers must
understand the business they support and use this understanding to build services and infrastructure that
support business goals. You should also show your direct reports how their work impacts overall business
goals. You should also ensure that business administrators understand what IT does for them. Showcase your
department's activities through annual reports, regular communications and frequent project updates. Check out
TechRepublic’s “How Do I” center for more information on aligning IT with business goals.
Treat communication as a busy, fast-moving, two-way street. – Information is not a limited commodity to
hold. Information should flow freely and easily between management and workers. If you sense that you are
not getting important information, carefully consider ways to increase communication. Likewise, don’t hoard
information, unless it is absolutely confidential. What seems irrelevant to you, may be highly relevant for someone else.
Reward information sharing between your direct reports.
Encourage everyone to work as a team. – The whole really is greater than the sum of its parts.
Encouraging collaboration and teamwork helps remove silo-like isolation that often occurs in technical
organizations. Cross-functional teams are extremely important because small changes in one area can have
significant ripple impact across other IT units. Reward efforts that allow for collaboration and develop an environment
where workers can feel comfortable asking and giving assistance to one another. Frustrations often result when one
team member knows something that others spend hours working to resolve. Teamwork will fuel your communication
vehicle.
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