Simple Mantras for IT Managers to be Creative

 As a leadership coach, I have been interacting with IT managers over the past few years. I find them sharp and aspirational even as they want to add value and work hard.  However, because of the changes in domain and evolving new technologies, it goes without saying that they need to catch up with the changes and stay abreast of recent trends. The stress of constantly being in vigilant mode often takes a toll on them, specially the fact that if anything goes down, they will be held responsible. Things are not getting simpler; things are only becoming more complicated with new technologies coming in. Now, what does this cost them? Creativity and innovation. Most importantly, they need to have fun at work.

I am trying to interact with them on how they can have more creative and effective lives as managers. It is important for them to come up with creative ideas, not just for themselves but for their teams as well.

Best cultural practices

I believe that if CIOs are conducive to new ways of thinking, it’s great. But IT managers, as individuals, should have individual practices. That’s what I concentrate on in my coaching. IT managers can practice figuring out their own ways of stimulating their creativity. Currently, they join a company and are influenced by the same way of working, same culture, firefighting and the like; it robs them of their creativity. It’s important for IT managers to be calm and think about what degrees of freedom they have. For example, they need to come to office half an hour early and have a relaxed state of mind which would help them be more composed in their thought process; ideally, they must avoid firefighting for the first half an hour. So, they need to follow a practice that calms their brain, and helps them analyse a situation.

Skills that need sharpening

• Communication skills are vital. These fall under managerial skills. IT managers need to sharpen managerial skills which is critical. For example, say, a critical IT investment plan is placed on the corporate table and examined by the CFO and CEO. But a lack of effective communication results in a situation where IT managers may not be able to explain the requirement or the rational behind the suggestion. IT managers who are looking to become CIOs later certainly need this ability to translate complex IT ideas into simple resolutions.

• Secondly, getting into the shoes of business people is also important; so also, being more rational in analysing a decision that does not align with theirs helps.

One rule of thumb

I would recommend that they should know how to manage the expectations of a CIO, or their boss, inside out. They should ensure the CIO achieves his goals. I have observed many a time that IT managers are not aware of the top 5 strategies and the business expectations of the CIO.

Nike Zoom Assersion EP