Talent is in short supply. But talented and competent managers are not recession-proof either. In an uncertain business environment, layoffs go side by side with headhunting offers.
It is much worse if the manager’s skills and competencies are not top-grade. An IDC report predicts 70% of CIOs will fail by 2023. They cannot manage IT governance, strategy, and operations in the fast-changing world of computing.
Here is an essential toolkit for survival in the coming hard times.
Embrace Change
Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the cloud are double-edged swords. It portents redundancy while providing opportunities. IT teams shrink as new technology services emerge. When AI-powered robots fix issues with the software and processes, managers become redundant.
Managers have to evolve to stay relevant. They can no longer hope to survive undertaking administrative tasks.
They have to:
- Re-skill themselves on how to use AI in their jobs.
- Understand business objectives and align their values and goals with business priorities.
- Architect innovative solutions to achieve business objectives.
- Learn the art of coordinating effectively with third-party vendors and independent contractors. In an increasingly fragmented IT ecosystem where enterprises rely on third-party agents, managers who deliver seamless sync with external agencies become recession-proof.
- Quantify work and achievements, and deliver tangible output. Managers have to convince the C-suite executive of the positive ROI interventions they make.
Embrace Risk
Successful IT managers mix stability and innovation. They take informed decisions based on data but are not averse to risks. They innovate to break out of the status-quo stranglehold. Risk-averse IT managers struggle in today’s fluid business environment.
Keep Learning
Complacency is a deadly sin for CIOs and IT managers.
Skills and competency are transcendent. Competent IT personnel of the 1990s would be a tech-illiterate today if he did not upgrade his skills to keep up with changes in technology.
Hard work and people management skills may sustain managers for a while. Eventually, the lack of continuous learning will widen the skill gap to the extent the position becomes unsustainable. In any case, IT managers are not layoff proof when things go wrong. When enterprises cut HR costs, they assign managerial duties to technically qualified employees.
Smart IT managers approach learning as a continuous activity. They read the latest journals, attend conferences, and partake in training programs. They strive to learn something new and look to work with the latest technology. They also unlearn obsolete concepts fast.
Develop Time Management Skills
Many CIOs and IT managers underestimate the importance of time management. IT managers juggle many hats. Survival depends on:
- prioritising activities
- striking balance between tasks that matter most and tasks approaching deadline.
IT managers risk burnout if they do not balance work and life. Constant obsession with pending tasks does not take one ahead. The trick is to work smarter, not harder. Divide time and priority for each activity, but be flexible to adjust to situational demands.
Cultivate Soft Skills
Soft skills are as important as technical skills for IT managers. CIOs and IT managers need:
- good communication skills to engage with customers and staff.
- collaboration skills, to get work done through cross-functional teams,
- leadership skills, to get work done through people
- problem-solving skills, to troubleshoot crisis
- critical observation skills, to find opportunities, predict trouble, and make sure things work smoothly
These parameters define success in any position.
A recent ICIMS survey on human resources lists soft skills as more valued than hard skills by 18% in the IT industry.
Network and Socialize
Networking and socializing are invaluable for success. IT managers who build relationships with their peers, colleagues, and others enjoy success. They gain access to opportunities not available to the general pool. At the very least they get good, authentic referrals.
Successful managers become members of professional bodies operating in their niche. They consider meeting new people as important as gaining new knowledge at conferences.
Burning bridges is career suicide. Exiting an organization on a sour note returns to haunt the manager. Such instances reflect on bad temperament and inability to work with others.
Keep Moving
As the adage goes, “a rolling stone gathers no moss.”
Frequent job-hopping threatens careers. More so at senior positions. It raises serious doubt on the candidate’s trustworthiness, his ability to put in the hard grind and his suitability to handle the pressure. But all employees eventually stagnate in any enterprise.
Sticking on beyond a point harms both the employee and the employer. The law of diminishing marginal utility soon catches up with the manager, making him less and less useful to the employer. Many employers prefer a fresher and enthusiastic hand. The manager misses working in different and diverse environments. A candidate with a decade long stint in one company has trouble adjusting elsewhere.
Never Compromise on Integrity
Integrity is not negotiable in the modern workplace. Instances of indispensable managers forced to leave owing to moral turpitude or embezzlement are many.
Managers need not always resort to hard-core criminal activity to destroy their career. Non-compliance with rules or failing regulatory compliance requirements is enough to damn careers. This holds even when such infractions cause no monetary damage.
The future holds promise for proactive go-getters with the right attitude. In the age of robots and severe pressure on margins, enterprises still rely on human ingenuity. But managers have to rediscover themselves and align their values with enterprise values.
