Let's say it like it is. Managing difficult employees isn’t any fun.  It wastes lots of time, takes lots of energy, and usually creates lots of paperwork. Now for the good news . . .

We all know that teaching others is a time-honored activity.  Parents teach their children about the world. Master craftsmen teach their apprentices the tools, tricks, and techniques of the trade.  Many athletes become coaches and many technologists often mentor new, less experienced, members of the profession.

 As you may expect . . .

The finance department measures your department’s finances, and you will be judged on their measurements. The key to working effectively with finance people is to understand their world.  After all, your department’s financial health is a key component of good management.

 Your finance person can help you with a number of tasks, including . . .

What things can I start doing now, as an IT Manager, to move toward me goal of eventually being a CIO?

It may sound premature to start thinking like a CIO this early in your career, but it will help you begin to notice things you would otherwise miss.

I cannot over emphasis the importance of learning how to effectively work with vendors. By managing vendor-related projects well, you can help your departments meet its deadlines. Also, by negotiating well, you can save your organization lots of money.

Vendors can be categorized into two types . . . 

My team and I never seem to get great projects to work on. I feel like we’re always assigned boring tasks that no one else wants to do. What can I do to help our chances of working on the good stuff?

I’m going to divide my answers into three distinct steps: . . .

There are many occasions when it makes sense to bring in a temporary employee on a contractual basis. The reason may be . . .

I have been contract project manager for about five years and have made some great business connections. My hope is to use these people as professional references, job referrals, and potentially to rehire me for additional contract work. How can I keep in touch with these people without being annoying or looking only self-serving?

To begin . . . 

Do you have any tips on how to enhance the emails and other written communications I’m sending to my team, other people inside IT, and my non-IT counterparts and vendors?  The ones I’m writing now seem to leave people flat and uninspired.

Let’s begin by discussing . . .

What is an internal IT thought leader and how can I use it to accelerate my professional growth?

One of the best ways to move ahead professionally is to be viewed by those at your company and those generally within your industry as a thought leader. This, of course, is not an easy task but is very doable with the right plan, a willingness to learn, and a willingness to share your hard-earned expertise with others.

One advantage of being an IT professional is . . .