IT Culture - Time For Action

Sorry I haven't posted in such a long time. We're going into a busy time of year. Budgets, PCI Audit, strategic projects to get in before the holidays... Definitely the perfect storm right now. And all the while, I'm working on a couple of plans to continue to shape the culture of our IT organization.

Step 1 - Making a Plan
Over this past month, I've held a contest to name our new employee-of-the-month-type award. We haven't had this before. We meet as a group each month and introduce new employees, present awards of recognition from peers, and talk about current events and goals in the company. They've become a bit routine and uninspiring. Sure, it's great that we're taking the time to do it and to give recognition to others. But we need to give it a purpose that's bigger than that. It should be a time when the entire team can envision the future together. So I have a plan to help make better use of these monthly meeting. A plan that I hope will make them more inspiring, exciting, and satisfying to attend, while also creating an atmosphere for our team culture to build confidence.

So we've come up with the name for our employee-of-the-month-type award (vote by the team on suggestions from the team). We've reviewed the nominees from the team to receive the award and have chosen the awardee. As I thought through who should be selected, I realized there were specific attributes we were looking for. This individual should always reflect the values, commitment, and approach you hope to see in all of your staff. He or she will become your measuring stick. Others will measure their own performance in comparison to this person. If he or she is one person in front of you but someone completely different in front of peers, that's what you will be asking everyone else to emulate. But if your selection reflects the values that best serve your company, those that follow his example not only help themselves, they help each other by building a stronger company.

Step 2 - Laying the Groundwork
Immediately following the recognition of our awardee, I will talk to the team about what the award represents... for each of us individually, but more importantly, for our entire company. This first IT meeting will be my opportunity to take the group through my plan to form a culture of continuous improvement, mutual respect and trust, and a commitment to knowing our company's business. The first part of my talk is all about change, where we've been, where we are, and why, as difficult as it is, we've been so successful at it. We are already on our way. I just don't think the team knows how to talk about it.

Step 3 - Creating a Language
During my presentation, I will layout how we'll approach aligning our entire team on clear, attainable (though challenging) goals over the next 5 years. These goals aren't about projects we'll implement, although projects will be done in the course of pursuing the goals. Instead, these goals are about how we will achieve the vision that we create for ourselves. We will be aligned with both the company-wide mission and the IT mission that supports that. They will be inspired by a mantra that embodies their passion and dedication to our vision. And finally, they will have a clear strategic plan with which to make decisions on tactical approaches required to achieve this vision. I hope they learn to challenge each other respectfully and with the right perspective in mind. Discussions about right and wrong approaches will be guided by the more noble goals of the company instead of personal interests.

As long as they're willing to take a chance on these changes, they will quickly come to appreciate the benefits. Ultimately, desire for work that makes us feel fulfilled is inherent to all of us. We are most happy when our work can be seen contributing to some greater good. Personal accomplishment becomes less fulfilling over time when it's not clear how it really helped others. Sure, financial security, awards, promotions are all nice and sometimes necessary. But they are always the side effect of what you do. Things go bad when work is done only to achieve the side effects. What we should really be focuse on is fighting the good fight for the benefit of all. The side effects will come. And they will be inconsequential to the heartfelt satisfaction and pride felt for a job well done.

Historic football coach and leader, Vince Lombardi said it best... "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment of all he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
~Vincent T. Lombardi