Ben Poole

Tips for IT professionals

A couple of things for IT departments everywhere:

1. If your process gets in the way of delivering value to the business, you’re doing it wrong.
2. Please, don’t become the tail that wags the dog.

I thank you.

Posted at 00:25 PDT on 28 Apr 2009  |  Categories:   |   (11 comments)

Comments

1. Sounds very Gitomer like. :)
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Simon O'Doherty (#)
2. I must confess I had to Google your reference, and as a result besmirched my eyeballs with the text, Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a Yes! Attitude for a Lifetime of Success.
   
   Never mind “SafeSearch”, Google needs a preference cookie for that sort of thing right there
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Ben Poole (#)
3. The problem is that there are a lot of the people in corporate IT who define such processes in order to justify their own existence and ensure they retain their job for as long as possible. They usually have the word "senior", "administrator" or "manager" (or any combination thereof) in their job title.
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Jeff Gilfelt (#)
4. @3 indeed. The irony being that if you become hopelessly process-bound, then you also make yourself (and your role) more eligible for out-sourcing. If you don’t add any value, and everything you do is scripted, then why not have your role performed by someone cheaper?
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Ben Poole (#)
5. Never a truer word spoken....
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Giulio (#)
6. Can you elaborate on the inspiration for this entry Ben? As a "paid to be mordac", I want to know what I'm being paid to do wrong.
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Colin Williams (#)
7. @3 Welcome to my world.
   
   @4 As long as cheaper is also better I dont care who does my job.
   on 28 Apr 2009 by John Marshall (#)
8. @2 yea I have that book and "Customer satisfaction is worthless" (that one sitting on my desk in work). Both very good books. Although the Yes one can come off a bit cheesy, but it says that at the start. :)
   
   
   on 28 Apr 2009 by Simon O'Doherty (#)
9. @6 That would be unprofessional of me Suffice it to say, IT departments should look to work as true teams, and that we shouldn’t forget we are there to create and maintain solutions for our respective clients / organisations.
   on 29 Apr 2009 by Ben Poole (#)
10. Don't be the tail that wags the dog ... yes... but try with all your might not to be the bit just at the base of taail from which all the poo comes!
    
    [Conversation "guttered", world saved... i'll get my coat]
    on 29 Apr 2009 by Steve McDonagh (#)
11. Mr. McDonagh, I can always rely on you… my thanks
    on 29 Apr 2009 by Ben Poole (#)

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