The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
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Chances are this has less to do with technology and more to do with how it reshapes and reconstitutes the business model of an enterprise. That’s not typically how we see IT, but it has significant implications in how we build IT capability, select IT talent and set expectations for the value that IT will deliver. The problem is that IT is increasingly being marginalized and commoditized by the notion that the core competency of IT is distinct from the core competency of the organization. IT as a service for technology is well established; after all, that is what the “T” stands for. So we end up hiring people who understand technology but have little understanding of the business. Yet IT is increasingly shifting from just a technology enabler to a business model enabler. Just look at the world’s great innovators and you’ll see that what these companies innovate most is their business model, using IT as a foundational component of “business model” innovation. You couldn’t have Google, Amazon, eBay or Apple’s iTunes without the use of technology in a way that is transformational to the basic business model of these companies. The key is to separate IT and the talent required to staff it into commodity and competency, rather than to shift it all into the commodity category. Companies need to look at IT and ask (and IT needs to do this for itself), “What is the value of using the capabilities of IT to transform our business model and what skills will that require from IT staff?” How do you answer that? It’s amazingly straightforward if IT leadership is willing to innovate itself by following some basic principles. IT Innovates First, IT has to identify ways it can accelerate its organization’s rate of innovation. I see a widespread effort in large IT operations to become innovation hubs. In work we’re doing Ten Things You Can Do To Retain IT Talent hile we can talk at length about the prospects of IT, there is no doubt that whatever changes are in store, we all need to do what we can to keep the best and brightest in our existing IT organizations. If you’ve been in IT for any appreciable amount of time, you know that there are things that make it a special and unique collection of people and talent. IT is a melting pot with the most diverse set of backgrounds and skills of just about any part of the organization. For many of us, that is the attraction of IT. Keeping the best and the brightest is a matter of playing to that attraction by putting in place programs that will continue to fuel the reasons we chose IT to begin with. W 1. Training: IT professionals are in a constant battle trying to keep up with the changing landscape of their industry. There are few professions so relentless in their rate of change. It makes sense that you would want to keep these folks relevant. But would you believe that some companies actually feel that training their IT professionals can be a risk because it gives them skills that might not be immediately relevant? That’s a great way to end up with irrelevant skills — not the best motivator for folks who know how quickly they can become obsolete! 2. Cross-Skill: IT professionals are only as valuable as their understanding of the problems they are solving. They are also among the most eager to learn new skills. Taking IT out of IT and putting them into the business is a powerful motivator to help them understand and learn about the context of their users. The better they understand this, the more successful and satisfied they will be. 3. Involve: In times of heightened uncertainty we all want to be part of the conversation. Make sure you keep the challenges and opportunities as transparent as possible. Periodic meetings that address the changing landscape of IT — not just from your firm’s point of view but from an industry perspective — can help to give people an informed sense of what the real risks and opportunities are. I’ve yet to find a professional who does not feel better about his or her prospects when he is part of the process of defining his organization. 4. Recognize Success: This one is a no-brainer, which is why I’m always amazed when it’s not already being done. I’m not talking just about recognition in the annual employee review, but in company meetings. One large organization I worked with awarded the status of “Fellow” to its lead IT performers. The award came with a gold-plated medallion, a framed certificate and a lapel pin. You might think that all of this is a bit hokey, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Every person who was designated a Fellow had that medallion and certificate proudly displayed — not only at this organization but also at every 66 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer