10 things you should know about managing IT projects

IT projects can be daunting, especially to the novice. It’s relatively easy to propose a solution, but much more difficult to implement the desired performance levels on time for the right price. This list will help IT pros bring organization, professionalism, and goal-oriented progress to the projects they manage(SONY pcga-bp2ea battery).

#1: Get professional

IT projects historically have a negative reputation for being over budget, late, and poorly implemented. Having a professional individual in charge of the project can add great organization and credibility to your efforts. If your project is of a size where a project manager role can be used, go for it(SONY VAIO PCG-5K1L battery).

Working with a Project Management Institute (PMP)-certified individual will greatly enhance the effectiveness of your software projects. The PMP is also a good benchmark across all project management disciplines and is a big credibility booster when a project integrates with non-IT individuals, external customers, business partners, or part of a larger project(SONY VAIO PCG-6W2L battery).

#2: Identify the leadership roles

Having individuals responsible for specifics metrics of the project is important. This should be done in a way that puts capable individuals in roles that are best suited for their talents but that doesn’t overwhelm individual team members(SONY VAIO PCG-7112L battery). IT projects often put too much emphasis on the technical contributions of a small number of individuals — or even just one person — and effectiveness is limited when these resources are maximized during the project cycle(SONY VAIO PCG-8Z1L battery).

You should also ensure that individuals in charge of specific areas of the project do not hoard responsibility. For example, a person or small group may make great contributions to the progress of the project in regard to overall systems performance, not using so much time for the project (when working from a fixed-price/hours amount project) (SONY VAIO PCG-8Z2L battery), and getting finished ahead of schedule. But these efficiencies may come at the price of this individual or group not updating project documentation or ensuring revision control with authoritative instances of documents or code and possibly missing “the little things” in the project(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y2L battery).

Individuals with leadership roles within the project can ensure that the project follow-through is done according to the required standards. Examples of this include roles such as Technical Lead, Project Lead, or Documentation Lead(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y1L battery). These leadership roles can provide checks and balances in the event that a person becomes reassigned unexpectedly or leaves the organization. The continuity chain can be made stronger by tighter integration across individuals for progress points and ensuring the administrative follow-through of the project(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z2L battery).

#3: Focus on scope management

Scope management is one of the most important aspects of IT projects, and it’s the team’s responsibility to make sure that any scope changes are introduced in the correct forum. The project process should include procedures for making a scope change proposal(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z1L battery).

It’s also important to ensure that the official mechanism for project documentation maintains robust revision control, because scope can change functionality requirements and thus change the documentation that accompanies a project. In the event that a scope change is backed out, proper revision control will ensure that the original functional levels are available from a documentation standpoint(SONY VAIO PCG-7133L battery).

Real-world example

We solicited feedback from Bill Reits, a certified PMP at Siemens Logistics and Assembly Systems for some comments on scope management. He said that one of the most common and troublesome scope problems within IT projects is Gold Plating(SONY VAIO PCG-7113L battery).

Gold Plating is adding undefined features to a project that were not within the agreed scope of the project. It’s common in the software industry because programmers, software engineers(SONY VAIO PCG-6W3L battery), and IT pros decide on their own to add “cool features” that they determined would be fun to code, tools, or other benefits to the implementation project or customer’s deliverable system. Although the intentions are often well meaning, Gold Plating can have the following costly consequences(SONY VAIO PCG-7111L battery):

The individual can underestimate the effort, get caught up in developing or showcasing unnecessary features, and end up taking a great deal of time that was not budgeted at the expense of deliverable requirements(SONY VAIO PCG-6W1L battery).

Because the task was not planned, it often affects other areas of the project that were not considered. This can be negative performance impacts, unclear training materials that differ from practice, or other methods(SONY VAIO PCG-6V1L battery).

If the tasks introduce a nonconformance (a.k.a. software bug), a great deal of warranty effort can be expended correcting something that was never within the scope of the project(SONY VAIO PCG-6S3L battery).

When an individual adds a “feature” that was not in the scope of the project, additional work from other team members can be required. For example, the feature must be added to the master documentation, the functional specification, the operators manual, the unit test plans(SONY VAIO PCG-6S2L battery), the integration test plans, the acceptance test plans, the traceability matrix, etc. It should be obvious that one small easy-to-code feature can add many hours to a project(SONY VAIO PCG-5J2L battery).

It may be possible, that the added feature is not desired by the customer, resulting in time and effort to remove it and in customer dissatisfaction. For instance, a “slick feature” may be added to a banking application that is against government regulations or bank policy.

#4: Create the project definition or charter(SONY VAIO PCG-5L1L battery).

Having the project clearly defined can pave the way for all subsequent aspects of the project to be implemented correctly. A well-defined project definition and corresponding processes gives the project a strong foundation(SONY VAIO PCG-5K2L battery).

The project definition will define an agreed-upon performance baseline, costs, efforts required, expected functionality, implementation requirements, and customer requirements, and it identifies the individuals and organizations involved in the project. Project definitions that include specific technology details on how a task is to be accomplished will benefit all stakeholders of the project(SONY VAIO PCG-5J1L battery).

Real-world example

One TechRepublic member was implementing a project whose initial project definition referenced communication between two systems as the following(SONY PCGA-BP1N battery):

“The host system automatically will send the order system the order information over the network using a standard interface.”

This language spells trouble, since it could mean so many things: An EDI transaction, an FTP exchange between the two systems, two custom socket interfaces exchanging a messaging formats, an XML file, connectivity through a standard product like MQ series, SQL database replication, or any other number of ways of two systems exchanging data(SONY VAIO PCG-5G3L battery).

#5: Identify the risks

IT projects can incur risk in unique ways, as IT projects make frequent use of vendors, consultants, and contractors. For example, if your organization contracts Acme IT Services to assist your IT staff in its upcoming Active Directory and Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional client migration, you may face the risk that Acme IT Services could go out of business, get a “more important” client, or do an inferior job(SONY VAIO PCG-5G2L battery).

Each element of risk — resources, schedule, performance, cost, etc. — should have assessments performed. These tasks are usually delegated to the project manager or individual most closely associated with that role(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S Battery). Periodic risk assessments and tracking are due diligence of the project process. Risks manifesting themselves in the project cycle should have recourses as well. For example, if Acme IT Services leaves your project for another client, ensure that there are recourses to working with this agency(SONY VGP-BPS13S Battery).

#6: Manage relationships with external parties

IT projects will almost always have some level of involvement with external parties. These parties can be:

Consultants

Business partners

Service providers

Vendors

Software publishers

Equipment manufacturers

Having external parties involved in the project will add resources and ability to the appropriate deliverable of the project(SONY VGP-BPS13AS Battery). However, ensure that each organization’s role and need is clear. The project plan should identify an individual to be in charge of administering the relationship and availability of external parties. If your organization executes many projects at once, this individual may perform this function for all active projects(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S Battery).

#7: Maintain strong documentation standards

Documentation is the key to a successful IT project, especially when changes need to be made after implementation. Ensure that your organization has clearly defined documentation expectations as well as standardized repositories for various types of documentation. Revision control mechanisms are also important if custom development is being performed(SONY VGP-BPS13/B Battery).

In addition, it makes sense to have documentation that defines the documentation requirements. That may seem like overkill, but as a project scales in complexity, this becomes more valuable to the success of the project implementation and manageability(Dell INSPIRON 1764 battery).

Strong documentation standards offer the following benefits to IT projects:

New team members can assimilate more easily.

Future work related to this effort are more easily started.

Functionality changes are easier to stage or test(Dell INSPIRON 1564 battery).

#8: Build effective communication channels

Project management should coordinate clear communications. E-mail seems to be the preferred mechanism for this, but it can easily become overwhelming and inefficient. One popular good practice is to identify specific individual(s) when a response is required(Dell INSPIRON 1464 battery). By using the TO: and CC: fields appropriately, you can avoid unclear messages about who needs to do what. Figure A shows an example of an e-mail communication that outlines specific responsibilities(Dell INSPIRON 1520 battery).

This e-mail message clearly identifies that its target is William. If there are any issues with the topics presented, it is the primary responsibility of William to raise them. The other members are presented with an opportunity to raise concerns and to share them with the selected distribution(Dell INSPIRON 1420 battery).

Little habits can add great effectiveness to the communication patterns, especially when involving external parties. For instance, in the example above, members from each organization are grouped to give clarity to distribution. How many e-mail messages have you received where you aren’t even sure whether you’re being addressed, much less whom you should reply to(Dell INSPIRON E1505 battery)?

Also make it a priority to communicate the schedule (and its changes), status reports, scope topics, and new issues that arise in the project process. Clear, concise, and targeted communications are all positive habits for IT projects(Dell INSPIRON 1525 battery).

#9: Keep an eye on costs

The closer you are to the technology, the less pleasant the topic of cost becomes. Nevertheless, cost is among the most important aspects of the project process. Each project member should be aware of the costs associated with his or her aspects of the project. This also becomes important if it’s determined that the scope of a project should be changed. For example, consider the following technology scenarios(SONY VGP-BPS13B/B Battery):

A new version of a critical software component is released.

A security risk for a software component is discovered.

Newer or faster computer equipment is required or desired.

Scope change can address these topics, but there may be dependency scope changes that go with them, which can greatly increment the costs involved. Licensing, space concerns, “lost licensing” or unused equipment and software, and rework or lost time all can add to the cost of scope change(SONY VGP-BPS13 Battery).

Fear of the price impact should not deter scope change, but it’s an element the project team must keep in mind.

#10: Don’t forget the closeout

Once the deliverables of the project have been met and all appropriate signoffs have been obtained, exert the same effort to correctly close the project. Depending on your project type and scope, the project’s closeout and post-mortem are important to ensure that all project members have executed their required steps and that the customer (internal or external) is satisfied with the project results(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31B Battery).

Depending on the scope and nature of the IT project, the closeout may be a required step to take the project (or customer) to “support mode.” Project turnovers, closeouts, and other mechanisms to prepare the project for ongoing life are important to ensure that all the ends are in place so that when this topic arises again, there is a good reference point on the details of the project(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery).

10+ tips for designing flexible and efficient Access tables

Access stores one of your most important assets — your data — in tables. Now, truthfully, the table you see onscreen is just a graphic representation, but you use this representation to determine how the rest of your database uses and reacts to your data(SONY pcga-bp2ea battery). For this reason, it’s important to spend time up front assigning the appropriate properties and data types to suit the data. If the tables aren’t right, everything else is suspect(SONY VAIO PCG-5K1L battery).

# 1: Use table level properties to increase efficiency

Access tables offer several properties that remain with the data. You set the property just once, at the table level, and bound objects inherit those settings(SONY VAIO PCG-6W2L battery):

Format: Determines how Access displays the data.

Caption: Access displays this text in a control’s corresponding label box.

Input Mask: Forces users to enter data in a specific order or manner.

Default Value: Access automatically populates a control with this value for new records(SONY VAIO PCG-7112L battery).

Description: Documents at the table level. Access displays this text in the status bar when the control has focus.

Validation Rule: An expression that sets conditions that a value must meet for Access to accept the value(SONY VAIO PCG-8Z1L battery).

Validation Text: A text message that Access displays if an entry fails to meet the Validation Rule expression. Use this to provide clues for entering appropriate data.

You’re not stuck with these property settings. At the form or report level, you can override any of these properties for just that form or report. In all cases, you save time and your data exhibits continuity from object to object(SONY VAIO PCG-8Z2L battery).

# 2: Name fields appropriately

A field name should reflect a field’s purpose and describe the data it stores. The field names FirstName, LastName, and ZipCode are self-documenting and easy to manage. There’s no guessing. You know exactly what type of data should be in that field. There are, however, a few rules you must follow when choosing field names(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y2L battery):

A field name can consist of up to 64 characters–but only letters, numbers, and spaces.

Don’t use reserved words to name fields, or any object, for that matter. For a list of reserved words, search Help for “reserved words(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y1L battery).”

If you aren’t bound by an in-house naming convention, consider creating one of your own.

# 3: Don’t use spaces in field names

Although you might be tempted to use spaces in your field names, don’t. Spaces can be difficult to work with, especially in SQL statements and VBA code. If you use them, you must remember to enclose the reference in brackets, which is a nuisance. In addition, if you upgrade the database to SQL Server or export the data to use in another application, those space characters most assuredly will cause problems(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z2L battery).

If you want field headings and subsequent objects (see # 1) to display more natural text, use the field’s Caption property. For instance, if you name a field LastName, use the Caption property to display Last Name. Just remember that the Caption property is for display only. When referencing the field, you must always use the field’s actual name(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z1L battery).

Caption properties come with their own set of behavioral problems. If you’re going to use the Caption property, plan for the following pitfalls(SONY VAIO PCG-7133L battery):

Access ignores the AS keyword (alias) in a SQL statement if the underlying field has a Caption setting.

A Caption property setting won’t make it to the results of a Make Table query.

DAO and ADO field objects return a field’s Caption property and not the underlying field’s name(SONY VAIO PCG-7113L battery).

# 4: Don’t waste data type effort

When storing numeric data, you might be tempted to assign a Number data type. Before you do, consider the data’s purpose. For instance, you won’t use street number or zip code values in mathematical equations. When this is the case, store the data as Text. You’ll save a bit on memory, but more importantly, the data type is true to the data’s purpose. If you should need to use a text value as a true numeric value, use the Val() function in the form(SONY VAIO PCG-6W3L battery)

where field represents the Text field that’s storing numeric values or a literal value.

# 5: Use the most appropriate field size

With today’s powerful systems, assigning the most appropriate field size isn’t as urgent as it once was. However, as a matter of good practice, developers still limit field size. It’s your first step to validating data. For instance(SONY VAIO PCG-7111L battery), let’s say you store state abbreviations in a Text field with Field Size setting of 2. If the user enters ARK instead of AK, Access will reject the entry. Of course, the field size property rejects only entries that are too big. It can’t spot typos or other mistakes. The field would still accept other invalid entries, such as “A” or “K6.” (SONY VAIO PCG-6W1L battery)

This works with numeric fields too; it just isn’t as obvious. For instance, a Byte field accepts values 0 through 255, while the Long Integer accepts values from -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647(SONY VAIO PCG-6V1L battery).

Choose the appropriate data type and field size property for each field. Always choose the smallest data type and field size that will accommodate the largest possible value in that field(SONY VAIO PCG-6S3L battery).

# 6: Choose indexes carefully

Access uses an index to sort data in logical order, according to data type. The right indexing can improve performance. The wrong index will slow things down. By far, the most common mistake is to set too many indexes. Because Access updates the index each time you add or change a record, too many indexes will affect performance. Fortunately, you can apply a few indexing guidelines that will help(SONY VAIO PCG-6S2L battery):

Remember that a primary key automatically sorts–that’s an internal action you can’t control. In most tables, it’s the only index you really need. It’s called a unique index because every value in the field must be unique(SONY VAIO PCG-5J2L battery).

As a general rule, consider indexing a table’s foreign key.

Avoid an additional index on a table that you’ll be frequently updating, unless one of the above conditions applies(SONY VAIO PCG-5L1L battery).

If the table has a primary key, consider an index on a second field only when you’re working with large amounts of data, you plan to search or sort by that field often, or the field contains mostly unique values(SONY VAIO PCG-5K2L battery).

In short, index any field you want to sort, search, or join to another table to speed up tasks. Just remember that each index increases the size of the database, and too many indexes will slow things down. If you’re working with small to reasonable amounts of data, indexes–beyond the primary key–usually aren’t necessary(SONY VAIO PCG-5J1L battery).

One final word on indexes: Don’t use an index to sort. That isn’t their purpose and you might not end up with the results you need(SONY PCGA-BP1N battery).

# 7: Beware of AutoNumber limitations

Use an AutoNumber field to generate a unique number for your records. Many people use these fields as the table’s primary key, which is fine. This type of key is called a surrogate key. In later versions of Access, you can generate an incremental or random value. Incremental values are fine for most tables. You probably won’t use random values unless you’re using replication to synchronize multiple databases(SONY VAIO PCG-5G3L battery).

Remember that a table can have only one AutoNumber field. That might limit the way you can use that table later. For instance, if you need to merge two tables with AutoNumber fields in a Make Table query, you might run into trouble. It’s important to keep this limitation in mind when adding an AutoNumber to a table(SONY VAIO PCG-5G2L battery).

# 8: Change the starting value of an AutoNumber field

By default, an AutoNumber field starts with the value 1 and increments by 1 for each record. Occasionally, you may need to start a new table with an AutoNumber value other than 1. There’s no built-in property that lets you do this, but you can force a value(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S Battery):

Create the table and add an AutoNumber field but don’t enter any records.

Create a second table with one Long Integer Number field. Give the field the same name as the AutoNumber field in the data table (step 1) (SONY VGP-BPS13S Battery).

In the single field table (step 2), enter the value that is 1 less than the value you want the AutoNumber field to begin with. For instance, if the first AutoNumber value must be 100, enter 99(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S Battery).

Run an append query to append the record in the single-field table to the data table.

Delete the single-field table.

When you enter the first record into your data table, the AutoNumber field will generate a value that is 1 more than the value you entered into the single-field table (step 3) (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery).

# 9: Use analysis tools

Access has two tools that will help you refine your design. First, the Table Analyzer Wizard reviews a table and recommends changes where appropriate. Second, the Performance Analyzer reviews your entire database and makes suggestions for improving the design. Usually, you’ll want to apply the wizards’ advice(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery).

To run either wizard, choose Analyzer from the Tools menu and choose the appropriate item.

# 10: Don’t forget table properties

Like fields, tables have properties that define the table’s purpose. Most are self-explanatory, and the defaults are usually adequate. To access these properties, open the table in Design view and then choose Properties from the View menu. Here are a couple you should know about(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ11m Battery):

Order By: Specifies a sorting order that Access applies when you open the table. Simply enter the name of the field by which you want to sort the records. If you don’t use this setting, Access sorts by the primary key. If there’s no primary key, Access displays records in data entry order(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ11z Battery). It won’t matter much at the table level, since users don’t view tables. However, like many field properties, bound objects inherit the property.

Subdatasheet Name: Determines whether subdatasheets display related records. Many people find subdatasheets annoying. If that’s you, set this property to [None] to disable it(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ11l Battery).

10 tricks for working more efficiently in Microsoft Outlook

Outlook offers some powerful features for managing your e-mail, meetings, and contacts. The problem is, it offers so much that learning to use it all efficiently can take time. Some options are buried several menus deep. Others just aren’t as intuitive as they should be. The key to using Outlook efficiently is to customize its many views and options to suit your working habits(SONY pcga-bp2ea battery).

Tip #1: Save a few keystrokes when entering dates

When entering the start and due dates for a new task, you don’t have to type the entire date. If a date is in the current month, just enter the day and Outlook will enter the rest of the date for you. For instance, if the current month is March and you enter 14, Outlook assumes you mean March 14 of the current year and fills in that date(SONY VAIO PCG-5K1L battery).

When a date isn’t in the current month, you can still save a few keystrokes by entering the month and day. Outlook will fill in the year as follows(SONY VAIO PCG-6W2L battery):

If the month and day haven’t occurred in the current year, Outlook uses the current year.

If the month and day have passed, Outlook uses the next year(SONY VAIO PCG-7112L battery).

Tip #2: Control how you print notes

If you use the Notes feature to jot down questions, ideas, or quick reminders, you might also want to print them occasionally. By default, Outlook prints each note on a separate page, which might or might not be what you want(SONY VAIO PCG-8Z1L battery). You can force Outlook to fill each page, to save paper or to keep related notes together. Select the notes you want to print and then choose Print from the File menu. In the resulting Print dialog box, deselect the Start Each Item On A New Page check box in the Print Options and click OK(SONY VAIO PCG-8Z2L battery).

If the option is disabled, you’re using HTML format. You must switch to plain or text format to enable this option. To do so, choose Options from the Tools menu. Click on the Mail Format tab and choose Plain Text from the Compose In This Message Format option’s drop-down list(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y2L battery). Then, click Apply and OK. Repeat the print instructions, and you’ll find the Start Each Item On A New Page option is enabled. After printing the notes, just retrace your steps to reset your format setting(SONY VAIO PCG-8Y1L battery).

Tip #3: Print e-mail when it arrives

For a variety of reasons, some of us end up printing e-mail messages. If you print most of your messages, or all of your messages from a specific source, opening each message to print it manually interrupts your work. Setting a rule to print the desired incoming mail might be more efficient(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z2L battery). To do so:

From the Tools menu, choose Rules And Alerts.

Click New Rule on the E-mail Rules tab.

Click Start From A Blank Rule at the top of the resulting Rules Wizard dialog box.

In the Step 1 box, highlight the Check Messages When They Arrive option (it should be the default) and then click Next(SONY VAIO PCG-7Z1L battery).

In the Step 1 box, select the Where My Name Is In The To Box check box (or whatever option applies, if you don’t want to print all you messages) and click Next.

In the Step 1 box, click the Print It option and click Next(SONY VAIO PCG-7133L battery).

At this point, you can identify exceptions to the rule, but we won’t do that here. Just click Next, and then Finish, Apply, and OK to return to Outlook.

After setting up the new print rule, Outlook will print every incoming message that meets your requirements. Now, the chances are that you won’t want to print every message. So make good use of the conditions offered in steps 5 and 7 to limit the messages Outlook prints(SONY VAIO PCG-7113L battery).

Tip #4: Store sent mail efficiently

When you reply to an e-mail, Outlook stores a copy of that message in the Sent folder. If you’re like me, your Sent folder has thousands of messages. If you need to find a specific message later, you must sort through all those messages, and that takes time(SONY VAIO PCG-6W3L battery). Instead, store your replies with the original message. For instance, suppose you automatically route all your messages from your boss into a folder named, appropriately enough, MyBoss. If you want Outlook to store your replies in MyBoss with the original messages, do the following(SONY VAIO PCG-7111L battery):

From the Tools menu, choose Options.

On the Preferences tab (which should be selected by default), click E-mail Options in the E-mail section.

Click Advanced E-mail Options at the bottom of the Message Handling section.

In the Save Messages section, select the In Folders Other Than The Inbox, Save Replies With The Original Message check box and then click OK three times to return to Outlook(SONY VAIO PCG-6W1L battery).

Outlook will apply this setting to all of your personal folders. Just remember that Outlook saves replies with the original message and not in the Sent folder only when the original message is in a folder other than the Inbox. Outlook continues to save all replies sent from messages in the Inbox in the Sent folder(SONY VAIO PCG-6V1L battery).

Tip #5: Create a Flags toolbar

Quick Flags help you categorize your messages, usually by some level of importance or by task. For instance, you might use a red flag to mark messages that need a quick response and a blue flag to mark messages on which you’ve acted and are waiting for a response(SONY VAIO PCG-6S3L battery).

The problem with Quick Flags is that there’s no way to customize their descriptions. Outlook identifies them only by color. You can’t change the name of Red Flag to Critical. Remembering what each color represents can become burdensome(SONY VAIO PCG-6S2L battery).

An easy way to remember what each flag represents is to create a custom toolbar that displays each flag with text that means something to you. Fortunately, the process is easy(SONY VAIO PCG-5J2L battery):

From the Tools menu, choose Customize.

On the Toolbars tab, click New and name the new toolbar appropriately (for instance, you might name it “Flags”) and click OK.

In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.

Select Actions from the Categories list box(SONY VAIO PCG-5L1L battery).

Next, drag the appropriate flag color buttons from the Commands list to the custom toolbar. (If you can’t find the toolbar, look behind the dialog box.)

After adding all the flags you want, change the text for each flag button. Right-click a flag button and replace the Name setting, e.g., &Red Flag, with something more helpful, such as “Critical.” Select the Image And Text option so that Outlook will display the button’s name on the toolbar(SONY VAIO PCG-5K2L battery).

Complete step 6 for each flag button in your new toolbar.

Tip #6: Modify the scope of your Calendar work week

By default, the Work Week calendar view displays the five days of the traditional business week, Monday through Friday. To include Saturday and Sunday in that view, choose Options from the Tools menu(SONY VAIO PCG-5J1L battery). In the resulting Options dialog box, click Calendar Options in the Calendar section. In the Calendar Options dialog box, check Sat and Sun in the Calendar Work Week section. Then, click OK twice to return to the Calendar(SONY PCGA-BP1N battery).

You don’t have to view a seven- or traditional five-day work week. Check the days of the week that apply to you for a custom work week view. For example, if you work Wednesday through Sunday, you can make those selections to build a view that reflects your schedule(SONY VAIO PCG-5G3L battery).

Tip #7: Use color to identify messages from specific senders

Expecting important mail? Identify it as soon as it comes in by displaying it in a distinctive color. Start by select an existing message from the sender in question, if you have one. If you don’t, that’s okay; you can enter the sender’s name manually. Now follow these steps(SONY VAIO PCG-5G2L battery):

In Mail, choose Organize from the Tools menu.

In the Ways To Organize Mail pane, click the Colors link on the left side.

In the first condition statement (we won’t use the second), choose From in the first drop-down list(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S Battery).

If you chose a message before starting, the sender’s name will appear in the text box to the right. If it’s the wrong name, enter the right name or the person’s e-mail address.

Choose a color from the second drop-down list(SONY VGP-BPS13S Battery).

Click Apply Color and close the pane.

Afterward, Outlook will display all messages, existing and new, from the person you specified in step 4 in the color you selected in step 5.

Tip #8: Distinguish incoming mail from existing mail

By default, Outlook displays incoming mail as bold text until you read it. If you need a bit more help, consider displaying unread mail in a bright color. To do so, you’ll work in a view, not a rule(SONY VGP-BPS13AS Battery):

In Mail, choose Inbox.

Choose Arrange By from the View menu.

Select Current View and then Define View from the subsequent submenus.

In the Custom View Organizer dialog box, check the option and click Modify(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S Battery).

Click Automatic Formatting.

In the Automatic Formatting dialog box, click Font.

In the Font dialog box, choose a color from the Color dropdown list, and click OK three times. Then, click Apply View(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ21m Battery).

Outlook will display all unread mail in the Inbox in the color you choose in step 7. Doing so won’t display unread messages automatically routed to other folders. Since this is a view, it works only on the current folder. However, you can set up a similar view for any folder you like. In addition, the unread mail formatting takes precedent over colors used to identify mail from a specific sender (see Tip #7) (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ18m Battery).

Tip #9: Force replies to reach multiple recipients

A problem arises when you need recipients to reply to everyone receiving a message. The responding recipient must remember to click Reply All instead of Reply. If the recipient forgets to click Reply All, you’re the only one who will see the reply, forcing you to forward it to everyone else, which is inefficient. Before you send the message, you can configure it to reply to everyone(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery):

When composing the message, click the Options button on the Formatting toolbar.

Choose Options from the resulting drop-down list.

In the Message Options dialog box, check the Have Replies Sent To option in the Delivery Options section, which will automatically enter your e-mail address(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery).

Next, click the Select Names button to the right and select all the appropriate recipients.

Click Close to return to your message.

When any recipient responds to the message, regardless of which reply choice they click, the reply will go to everyone you specified in the Have Replies Sent To option(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ38M Battery).

Tip #10: Create a temporary work week in the Calendar

The Work Week calendar view displays a week view, and you define what constitutes a work week (see Tip #6). If you need to see more or less than the usual work week, you can temporarily change that view(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ31S battery). In the Date Navigation pane, click the first date you want to view. Then, hold down the [Shift] key and press the last date in the period. Outlook automatically adjusts the Calendar Work Week to include all of the dates in the selected time period. Alternately, you can view a group of noncontiguous dates by holding down [Ctrl] instead of [Shift] as you click dates. Outlook will display the days in order, regardless of how you select them(Dell INSPIRON 1464 battery).

10 tools to help your remote workers stay in touch

If you’ve got team members in multiple offices or working from home, you probably already use a fair amount of technology. But are you using the right tools for the right job? The best way to communicate depends on a lot of variables, including the urgency of a message, its complexity, and who you’re talking to(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery). It also depends on the strengths and weaknesses of the tool itself, so we’ve assessed 10 popular workplace technologies to tell you what they do best and how to work around their challenges(Sony VGP-BPS10 battery).

1: Instant messaging

How it works: Sends and receives written messages within a single pop-up screen shared by two or more users. Users with desktop cameras can use video chat to add a more personal component( Sony VGP-BPS3 battery).

Pros: Makes remote workers feel like they’re in the office. Faster and more intimate than e-mail. Allows you to see who’s online. Tracks and transcribes exchanges(Sony VGP-BPS2 battery).

Cons: Distracting when you have work to do, and too easy for your friends to see that you’re online. Not good for in-depth conversations. Often used for non-urgent matters with the expectation of an immediate response. Public IM clients aren’t secure(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ21M battery ).

Best for: Immediate feedback. Quick question-and-answer exchanges. Seeing if someone is available for a phone call. Sending links during a conference call. Reminders or alerts. (”That file is ready for you.”) Video chat is good for check-in meetings(Sony VGN-FZ150E battery).

Tips: Find a good program, like Trillian or Adium, that supports multiple IM clients. Turn it off when you’re using NetMeeting or otherwise sharing your screen. If you’re getting too many IMs, change your setting to “invisible,” create separate IM addresses for personal and professional use, and tell colleagues that you prefer to use IM for urgent issues only(Sony VGN-FZ15 battery).

2: Personal digital assistant

How it works: Bundles phone, e-mail, calendar, and other features into one handheld device.

Pros: You’re always connected. Fast way to stay on top of things while away from your computer and office. Real time so you don’t need to sync the device like the old days(Sony VGN-FZ15L battery).

Cons: You’re always connected, which cuts into personal time. Small size makes typing slow, and screens can be hard to read. Brevity of e-mails you send can be misinterpreted as curt or overly direct(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ18M battery).

Best for: Traveling. Managers who need constant access to e-mail and calendar.

Tips: They don’t call it “crackberry” for nothing. Set guidelines for when you’ll use it and when you won’t. Turn it off now and again, or you’ll go nuts(Sony VGN-FZ15T battery).

3: Teleconference

How it works: Allows multiple users to dial into a phone call. Can be hosted internally or through a third-party service provider.

Pros: Connects multiple people simultaneously. Real time. Inexpensive. More personal than e-mail(Sony VGN-FZ480E battery).

Cons: Not always clear who’s talking. Time lags result in people talking at the same time. Callers often multitask, so their attention is divided. If most of the group is in one location, people calling in feel left out of the conversation. Hard to show people what you’re talking about or give visual presentations(Sony VGN-FZ61B battery).

Best for: Small groups and teams already familiar with each other. Short meetings or planning sessions.

Tips: Send out an agenda or any visual aids before a meeting. Avoid the whiteboard; use specifics when reviewing visual aids (”At the top of the left column” instead of “This item over here”). Don’t continue the meeting informally when the call is over(Sony VGN-FZ31E battery).

4: Videoconference

How it works: Adds video to a conference call with cameras posted in conference rooms or at individual workstations. Voice activation allows the camera to focus on whoever is speaking(Sony VGN-FZ340E battery).

Pros: A thrifty alternative to meeting in person. Seeing gestures, expressions, and body language improves communication. Invaluable tool for recruiting departments(Sony VGN-FZ180E battery).

Cons: Requires expensive equipment on both sides. A hassle to set up if you don’t use it often. Awkward delays and potentially poor sound and/or video quality. With some systems you can see yourself onscreen, which is very distracting for presenters. If your company needs to do simultaneous videoconferences, you need bandwidth of T1 or greater(Sony VGN-FZ18E battery).

Best for: Scheduled formal meetings when traveling isn’t feasible. Team-building across locations. First-round interviews with job candidates from other cities(Sony VGP-BPL4 battery).

Tips: Arrange for a training class for all users of the equipment and request that users on the other end do the same. Set up the call in advance to assure the meeting will begin on time(Sony VGN-FZ160E battery).

5: Web conference

How it works: A Web site or software program like NetMeeting allows users to meet online in real time. Features include slide presentations, whiteboard annotation, live video, text chat, and real-time audio (using voice over IP) (Sony VGN-FZ15M battery).

Pros: Enhanced ability to share documents, so you can show and tell with a remote group.

Cons: Hard to launch and set up if you have large groups and multiple offices. Often relies solely on shared documents for visuals, so you don’t get the collaborative feel of videoconferencing(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ18G battery).

Best for: Presentations. Sharing ideas with remote parties. Complicated discussions that require visual diagrams. Troubleshooting with a team(Sony VGN-FZ345E battery).

Tips: If your charts are boring and your employees are at home or in their cubes, it’s easy to lose your audience. Make your visuals dynamic and use polling and messaging to keep them engaged(Sony VGP-BPS14 battery).

6. Wiki or ftp Site

How it works: Online archives where you can park large files that colleagues and clients need to access. With a wiki, participants can also add and update information over time to keep the files current(Sony PCGA-BP2E battery).

Pros: Highly accessible. Wikis allow for interlinking of documents and make it easy for multiple users to modify files. Ftp is better than e-mail for exchanging large files because it keeps them off your e-mail server(Sony VGN-FZ11S battery).

Cons: Most people don’t remember to look at a wiki for updates. Not real time. Can be difficult to learn. Requires a lot of effort to update and maintain(Sony VGN-FZ17L battery).

Best for: Gathering feedback or updates from a lot of people. Project planning across multiple teams.

Tips: To keep a wiki from becoming too long, break sections into separate pages and link them. Designate one person to update the wiki regularly, so that it doesn’t become outdated. Set ground rules so people don’t override each other’s updates. Third-party sites include Jot.com and Typepad.com(Sony VGN-FZ17G battery).

7: Collaboration technology

How it works: Project-specific online workspace allows colleagues to exchange and modify information. MeetingPlace is real time and allows one user to share his or her desktop with another. SharePoint doesn’t have to be real time, which is good for coworkers in different time zones(Sony VGN-FZ17 battery).

Pros: Easy to share files and applications. Reduces problems with multiple versions.

Cons: Each member of workgroup needs to download software. Some security risk.

Best for: Brainstorming. Customer presentations. Storing company and client information in a central location accessible to remote employees. Small, tech-savvy groups(Sony VGP-BPS18 battery).

Tips: You can also use collaboration technology as a training or repair tool. MeetingPlace allows you to share your desktop, so tech support staff can use it to fix some problems remotely. Since SharePoint is not real time, you may want to use it to work on documents, then launch Live Meeting to talk about the documents in real time. SharePoint 2007 adds a social networking component(Sony VGP-BPS15 battery).

8: Unified communications

How it works: Software integrates your various communications platforms, including office phone, cell phone, PDA, IM, and e-mail. It builds on voice-over-IP networks and integrates with calendar functions. It can also combine all your messages in one place(Sony VGP-BPL12 battery).

Pros: Makes you more accessible and potentially more productive by, for example, sending all your office voice mail, cell voice mail, and faxes into your e-mail box(Sony VGN-FZ290 battery).

Cons: People know where you are and what you’re doing and expect to be able to reach you at all times. Can cause problems with the performance of other applications on your server(Sony VGN-FZ29VN battery).

Best for: Road warriors and other people who carry multiple devices or receive a lot of communications.

Tips: Before you choose a vendor, come up with a complete IT strategy and make sure vendors can meet all your needs. Don’t expect to switch to voice over IP and unified communications in one fell swoop. It’s less hectic to migrate one technology at a time(Sony VGN-SZ55 battery).

9: Presence

How it works: Software links communications devices and calendars to find availability and automatically set up meetings between multiple users(Sony VGN-FZ220E battery).

Pros: Saves the back and forth communication of trying to set up meetings among busy people.

Cons: You need to update your calendar often, and in granular detail.

Best for: People with extremely full schedules, teams that have a hard time scheduling meetings(Sony VGN-FZ11Z battery).

Tips: Be specific in your calendar entries. If you want colleagues to know you’re available for a conference call during a long commute, for example, you need to specify in your calendar entry that you’re not in the office but you are available by cell phone(Sony VGN-FZ11M battery).

10: Telepresence

How it works: A high-definition, high-bandwidth version of videoconferencing. Multiple oversize plasma screens and speakers throughout a conference room and real-time audio give you the closest match to meeting in person, for upwards of $500,000(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ31M battery).

Pros: See expressions and make eye contact. No audio delay. Cost (if it’s a long-term substitute for traveling to meetings).

Cons: Cost (if you don’t use it enough). Requires dedicated conference rooms, high-bandwidth audio, and modern voice-over-IP switching infrastructure. Because many systems operate on proprietary networks, they work only for in-company meetings(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ31Z battery).

Best for: High-level executives who want to cut back on their travel.

Tips: If you go for it, find creative ways to get your money’s worth. Food manufacturer Tate & Lyle used telepresence for a meet-and-greet among administrative assistants in different offices. Admins work together across multiple locations every day, but they rarely meet each other because they’re almost never included in travel budgets(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ38M battery).

10 common Web design mistakes to watch out for

When you start designing a Web site, your options are wide open. Yet all that potential can lead to problems that may cause your Web site to fall short of your goals. The following list of design mistakes addresses the needs of commercial Web sites, but it can easily be applied to personal and hobby sites and to professional nonprofit sites as well(SONY VGP-BPS13B/S Battery).

1: Failing to provide information that describes your Web site

Every Web site should be very clear and forthcoming about its purpose. Either include a brief descriptive blurb on the home page of your Web site or provide an About Us (or equivalent) page with a prominent and obvious link from the home page that describes your Web site and its value to the people visiting it(SONY VGP-BPS13S Battery).

It’s even important to explain why some people may not find it useful, providing enough information so that they won’t be confused about the Web site’s purpose. It’s better to send away someone uninterested in what you have to offer with a clear idea of why he or she isn’t interested than to trick visitors into wasting time finding this out without your help. After all(SONY VGP-BPS13AS Battery), a good experience with a Web site that is not useful is more likely to get you customers by word of mouth than a Web site that is obscure and difficult to understand(SONY VGP-BPS13A/S Battery).

2: Skipping alt and title attributes

Always make use of the alt and title attributes for every XHTML tag on your Web site that supports them. This information is of critical importance for accessibility when the Web site is visited using browsers that don’t support images and when more information than the main content might otherwise be needed(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15G Battery).

The most common reason for this need is accessibility for the disabled, such as blind visitors who use screen readers to surf the Web. Just make sure you don’t include too much text in the alt or title attribute — the text should be short, clear, and to the point(Sony VAIO VGN-FZ15T Battery). You don’t want to inundate your visitors with paragraph after paragraph of useless, vague information in numerous pop-up messages. The purpose of alt and title tags is, in general, to enhance accessibility(SONY VGP-BPS13/B Battery).

3: Changing URLs for archived pages

All too often, Web sites change URLs of pages when they are outdated and move off the main page into archives. This can make it extremely difficult to build up significantly good search engine placement, as links to pages of your Web site become broken(Dell INSPIRON 1764 battery). When you first create your site, do so in a manner that allows you to move content into archives without having to change the URL. Popularity on the Web is built on word of mouth, and you won’t be getting any of that publicity if your page URLs change every few days(Dell INSPIRON 1564 battery).

4: Not dating your content

In general, you must update content if you want return visitors. People come back only if there’s something new to see. This content needs to be dated, so that your Web site’s visitors know what is new and in what order it appeared(Dell INSPIRON 1464 battery). Even in the rare case that Web site content does not change regularly, it will almost certainly change from time to time — if only because a page needs to be edited now and then to reflect new information(Dell INSPIRON 1520 battery).

Help your readers determine what information might be out of date by date stamping all the content on your Web site somehow, even if you only add “last modified on” fine print at the bottom of every content page(Dell INSPIRON 1420 battery). This not only helps your Web site’s visitors, but it also helps you: The more readers understand that any inconsistencies between what you’ve said and what they read elsewhere is a result of changing information, the more likely they are to grant your words value and come back to read more(Dell INSPIRON E1505 battery).

5: Creating busy, crowded pages

Including too much information in one location can drive visitors away. The common-sense tendency is to be as informative as possible, but you should avoid providing too much of a good thing. When excessive information is provided, readers get tired of reading it after a while and start skimming. When that gets old, they stop reading altogether(Dell INSPIRON 1525 battery).

Keep your initial points short and relevant, in bite-size chunks, with links to more in-depth information when necessary. Bulleted lists are an excellent means of breaking up information into sections that are easily digested and will not drive away visitors to your Web site(SONY VGP-BPS13B/B Battery). The same principles apply to lists of links — too many links in one place becomes little more than line noise and static. Keep your lists of links short and well-organized so that readers can find exactly what they need with little effort. Visitors will find more value in your Web site when you help them find what they want and make it as easily digestible as possible(SONY VGP-BPS13 Battery).

6: Going overboard with images

With the exception of banners and other necessary branding, decorative images should be used as little as possible. Use images to illustrate content when it is helpful to the reader, and use images when they themselves are the content you want to provide. Do not strew images over the Web site just to pretty it up or you’ll find yourself driving away visitors(HP PAVILION DV6000 battery). Populate your Web site with useful images, not decorative ones, and even those should not be too numerous. Images load slowly, get in the way of the text your readers seek, and are not visible in some browsers or with screen readers. Text, on the other hand, is universal(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31B Battery).

7: Implementing link indirection, interception, or redirection

Never prevent other Web sites from linking directly to your content. There are far too many major content providers who violate this rule, such as news Web sites that redirect links to specific articles so that visitors always end up at the home page(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31M Battery). This sort of heavy-handed treatment of incoming visitors, forcing them to the home page of the Web site as if they can force visitors to be interested in the rest of the content on the site, just drives people away in frustration(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31J Battery). When they have difficulty finding an article, your visitors may give up and go elsewhere for information. Perhaps worse, incoming links improve your search engine placement dramatically — and by making incoming links fail to work properly, you discourage others from linking to your site. Never discourage other Web sites from linking to yours(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31E Battery).

8: Making new content difficult to recognize or find

In #4, we mentioned keeping content fresh and dating it accordingly. Here’s another consideration: Any Web site whose content changes regularly should make the changes easily available to visitors. New content today should not end up in the same archive as material from three years ago tomorrow, especially with no way to tell the difference(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ31S battery).

New content should stay fresh and new long enough for your readers to get some value from it. This can be aided by categorizing it, if you have a Web site whose content is updated very quickly (like Slashdot) (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ31z Battery). By breaking up new items into categories, you can ensure that readers will still find relatively new material easily within specific areas of interest. Effective search functionality and good Web site organization can also help readers find information they’ve seen before and want to find again. Help them do that as much as possible(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ38M Battery).

9: Displaying thumbnails that are too small to be helpful

When providing image galleries with large numbers of images, linking to them from lists of thumbnails is a common tactic. Thumbnail images are intended to give the viewer an idea of what the main image looks like, so it’s important to avoid making them too small(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ210CE Battery).

It’s also important to produce scaled-down and/or cropped versions of your main images, rather than to use XHTML and CSS to resize the images. When images are resized using markup, the larger image size is still being sent to the client system — to the visitor’s browser(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ160 Battery). When loading a page full of thumbnails that are actually full-size images resized by markup and stylesheets, a browser uses a lot of processor and memory resources. This can lead to browser crashes and other problems or, at the very least, cause extremely slow load times. Slow load times cause Web site visitors to go elsewhere. Browser crashes are even more effective at driving visitors away(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ21 Battery).

10: Forgoing Web page titles

Many Web designers don’t set the title of their Web pages. This is obviously a mistake, if only because search engines identify your Web site by page titles in the results they display, and saving a Web page in your browser’s bookmarks uses the page title for the bookmark name by default(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ410 Battery).

A less obvious mistake is the tendency of Web designers to use the same title for every page of the site. It would be far more advantageous to provide a title for every page that identifies not only the Web site, but the specific page. Of course, the title should still be short and succinct. A Web page title that is too long is almost as bad as no Web page title at all(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ21m Battery).

Achieving success

These considerations for Web design are important, but they’re often overlooked or mishandled. A couple of minor failures can be overcome by successes in other areas, but it never pays to shoot yourself in the foot just because you have another foot to use. Enhance your Web site’s chances of success by keeping these design principles in mind(SONY VAIO VGN-FZ18m Battery).

10 signs that you aren't cut out to be a CIO

You’ve spent many years as an IT professional. You’ve written good program code; taken on complex projects — and succeeded; managed technical IT professionals; and studied the ins-and-outs of how the Web works. All of these things have helped you advance in your career. So now you’re ready to be a CIO, right(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ battery)?

I had the opportunity to talk with a large number of incumbent CIOs when doing research for my book Unwrapping the CIO: Demystifying the Chief Information Officer Position(Sony VGP-BPL9 battery). It was extremely interesting hearing about the things that surprised them when they first assumed their new CIO position. I also talked with CEOs about what they look for when hiring a CIO. As a result of these conversations, I have been able to compile some of the more salient traits necessary to be successful in that job(Sony VGP-BPS10 battery).

Let’s see if you are ready to be a CIO. If any of the following items make you feel like you are looking in a mirror, you may want to reconsider whether you’re really prepared to be a CIO( Sony VGP-BPS3 battery).

1: You are uncomfortable working with senior management

It would be a real problem if you aren’t comfortable working with senior management since, as CIO, you are senior management. The CEOs I talked with were adamant about the CIO functioning well as a member of the senior management team(Sony VGN-FZ150E battery). This means that the heads of the business units, such as finance, marketing, and sales, are now your peers. These are individuals who will interact with you on a daily basis. You will need to build strong relationships with the members of the senior management team to be successful in your job(Sony VGN-FZ15 battery).

2: The concepts of financial management totally elude you

It’s common for the IT budget to represent anywhere from 3% to 5% of the total expenses in a company. That can be a huge number in a multibillion dollar corporation. You must also understand that the components of the IT budget are some of the most complex in the business. Many departments need to think only about people costs(Sony VGN-FZ15L battery).

But as CIO, you must also be concerned with hardware costs, which include mainframes, desktops, servers, and all of the associated peripherals; the cost of the software that will run on those devices; the maintenance costs for both the hardware and software; the cost of providing an effective network, both voice and data(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ18M battery); and the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining outside consultants on your team. You will also need to be concerned with the timing of purchases to ensure that maximum value is realized from these investments. Financial management is a major part of the CIO’s job(Sony VGN-FZ61B battery).

3: You have no desire to participate in business strategic planning

Close to 80% of the CIOs I surveyed, indicated that strategic planning was the most significant aspect of their job. The business world today is extremely complex. Increased globalization; heightened merger activity(Sony VGN-FZ31E battery); competition from nontraditional sources; shortened product life cycles; and a tightened regulatory environment are just a few of the items affecting a company’s strategic plan. Information technology can affect all of these things… and more(Sony VGN-FZ340E battery).

In addition, many companies use IT as the strategic weapon necessary to survive in the fierce competitive environment. It is the job of the CIO to understand all of the aspects of the marketplace in which the company participates to help it effectively use information technology to address these challenges(Sony VGN-FZ180E battery).

4: Any kind of change drives you crazy

As the CIO, you are the company’s primary change agent. The CEO will look to you to drive a lot of the change in the company. Some of the changes will be related to technology, some will not. The CEO may make you responsible for improving the workflow of a key business process(Sony VGN-FZ160E battery). This is in addition to the rapid changes in all aspects of technology that you are going to be required to manage. For example, the convergence of voice and data technologies could mean you will need to change the telephones that are on everyone’s desk(Sony VGN-FZ15M battery).

5: You think SOX is a garment

The Sarbenes-Oxley Act (SOX) is just one of the many regulatory changes that are having a significant impact on companies today. It affects things such as financial reporting, corporate governance, and recordkeeping(Sony Vaio VGN-FZ18G battery). In addition, if you are in a service organization, you must contend with auditing standards, such as SAS-70 (i.e. Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 70), which increases the requirements to disclose your controls and processes to your customers(Sony VGN-FZ345E battery).

Today, much of the regulatory compliance requirements are performed electronically. Therefore, the CIO must understand all aspects of compliance requirements and issues. As CIO, you will be required to assist the company in avoiding the liabilities associated with noncompliance with these regulations(Sony PCGA-BP2E battery).

6: To you, asset management and building management are the same things

Information technology represents a major investment of the corporation. A large amount of the corporate assets are in the hardware, software, networks, and data center facilities in IT. Therefore, asset management plays an important role in the job of a CIO. The CIO must understand asset life cycles and the techniques for managing assets through their life cycle(Sony VGN-FZ11S battery). The CIO also needs to know the value of those assets and must be able to manage them efficiently. In the case of the data centers, asset management and building management may be the same thing. However, that is not true for the rest of the IT assets(Sony VGN-FZ17L battery).

7: The idea of selling anything scares you to death

A considerable part of the CIO job is selling. CIOs must sell the need for the new server technology when the company already has more than a thousand servers; sell the need to keep processing in-house and not outsource to an offshore company; sell the change in processes that will affect multiple business units; sell the refresh strategy for the desktop technology; and so on(Sony VGN-FZ17G battery).

It would require a lot more space than we have here to list all of the ideas, techniques, methods, and technology that a CIO must sell. At times, that sale will be made to your peers who are the heads of the other business units; other times, to the CEO or the board of directors. A CIO should not be frightened of selling or the sales process; it’s a large part of the job(Sony VGN-FZ17 battery).

8: Indecision is one of your strong points

It always amazes me the number of managers who are comfortable pushing decisions up the management chain. If you are the CIO, guess where the buck stops? That’s right… you’re it. A CIO is required to make hundreds of decisions a day(Sony VGP-BPS18 battery). Some are popular; some are not so popular. There are technology decisions; process decisions; and people decisions. There are decisions on how much or whether to challenge your business peer who is planning to pursue technology that is inconsistent with your direction(Sony VGP-BPS15 battery). There are the decisions about how to inform the CEO of the failure of a key corporate strategic project. And of course, there is always the decision as to whether taking on the CIO assignment was a good one in the first place(Sony VGP-BPL12 battery).

9: You’re really skilled in one key area of information technology

I have met IT professionals who believe that being highly skilled in Web technology is the key to being a good CIO. Of course, I have also met people who have said the same about data management, networking, storage, and security technologies. So then the question becomes, “In which technology should you specialize?” The answer is all of them(Sony VGP-BPL7 battery).

The CEO and the rest of the senior management team are going to expect you to be the senior information technology person. Therefore, they will just assume that you are knowledgeable in all areas of IT. You and I both know that’s impossible. The key is to develop an understanding of the different technologies and surround yourself with experts in each(Sony VGN-FZ29VN battery).

10: You believe that CIO stands for “career is over”

CIOs must have many personalities to perform their job on a daily basis. They must be a financial manager one minute and a technology chief the next. They may spend their morning discussing competitive strategies with the board of directors. Their afternoon could consist of discussing bandwidth requirements with the networking professionals or negotiating an IT contract with a vendor(Sony VGN-SZ56 battery). As a result of this wide range of skills, many CIOs are progressing to the CEO position within their company. So if you think that becoming a CIO is the end of your career, you may want to rethink whether you have what it takes to be a CIO(Sony VGN-FZ220E battery).

Summary

The job of CIO is complex on a good day. Only one in a million IT professionals can do the CIO job… and do it well. It is a job that requires a unique set of business skills as well as a strong understanding of IT technologies(Sony VGN-FZ11Z battery). However, the CIO is also in an exceptional position to have a major impact on the success of the company. So if you still think you want to become a CIO, you should be aware that you will gain membership to one of the most elite group of professionals on the planet(Sony VGN-FZ11M battery).