IT Managers rarely operate in isolation. Success often depends on how well you work with managers throughout the organization.

This episode explores building effective peer relationships, collaborating across departments, resolving disagreements, coordinating priorities, and achieving organizational goals.

Change can create resistance and uncertainty—but effective IT leaders can also turn change into an opportunity.

This episode presents six ways IT Managers can approach organizational and technology change more effectively through communication, planning, engagement, and leadership.

IT Managers aren't just responsible for managing technology. They also need to communicate the value their department provides to the rest of the organization.

This episode explores why IT leaders need to become advocates for their teams, communicate accomplishments, recognize employees, and explain IT's business value.

Your career shouldn't simply happen to you.

This episode explores proactive career management for IT professionals, including identifying career goals, developing needed skills, building professional relationships, and positioning yourself for opportunities.

The IT Help Desk is often the most visible part of the IT organization to business users.

This episode explores ways IT leaders can improve Help Desk customer satisfaction and the overall user experience through communication, responsiveness, service quality, expectation management, and relationship building.

Related episodes: Advocating for IT; Working With Other Managers; Communicating With Business Users.

There is an old expression that says, “No good deed goes unpunished.” When trying to motivate a subordinate, hire a new employee, promote a staff member, or help out a customer or vendor, you can promise to try, but never promise that you can deliver, unless it is in your personal authority to do so.

If you promise something and then can’t deliver . . .

I’m a software development manager who is continually being pushed by my business users to do more and do it faster, better, and cheaper. I can’t keep up with their demands and I think it’s putting my job in peril. Could I please have your advice on how to deal with this issue?

My answer is . . .

In business, if it's not your birthday, surprises are usually a bad thing.  Also, a coworker of mine use to say that bad news doesn’t get better with time. 

These two thoughts ring very true in the business arena. 

When there is an issue within your department, the worst thing you can do is not tell your boss.  This may sound counter-intuitive, but it is the best possible course of action for the following reasons . . .

I work within a large IT organization and the people in my department have been given the opportunity to work from home. If I do, does it reduce my opportunities for promotion or increase my chances of getting laid off?

In short, the answer to your question regarding the effect of working virtually on promotions and layoffs is that it depends on the following:

Now let’s discuss these items one at a time . . .

As an IT Manager, motivating team members working in a hybrid or virtual workplace brings special issues, challenges, and complexities.

 This webinar discusses how traditional and customized influence, delegation, and project management techniques can be used to motivate, even energize your staff, reduce attrition, and enhance work quality