Antony ChanI recently had the pleasure of attending Gartner’s CIO Leadership Forum event in Phoenix, AZ. Like any other conference, there were a wide range of presenters. But, the speakers that really stuck out in my mind were Keith Ferrazzi and Doug Solomon.
I liked Keith so much that I’ve added both of his books, Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back, to my “to read” list. I think we get so caught up in the things that we do that we often forget about the human component. At the heart of that function in IT, finance, HR, etc are people. And, in order to get anything done, it’s all about how you manage those relationships. People are willing to help people. So in a world where repetitive actions seem to start feeling transactional, my important take-away is to not only be professional, but to be kind. An acknowledgment, recognition or simple “thank you” will go a long ways.
Doug had two wow factors for me. First, the simplicity of his presentation was astonishing. I’m sure you’ve experienced “death by powerpoint” at least once in your life. This was the antithesis. Words were at a minimum, and it was very visually appealing. It’s a skill that I’ll have to work at diligently to master. Second, most of his presentation focused on the way folks at IDEO collaborate. I’ve seen plenty of intranets/portals in my days. But, this was something quite different. Again, like his presentation, it was simple in layout. Most notably, people had quick and easy access to the information that they needed within a click or two. This seems to be something that all companies strive to do. Yeah, DUH, it makes sense. Yet, it seems such a challenge to achieve. I mean, how many of you can really claim that you can quickly and easily get to all the information that you need that would make you the most efficient in the job that you do?
So, here’s the bottom line for me. One, be kind to people and cultivate good relationships. Two, keep it simple (presentations, emails, whatever). If you attended CIO Leadership Forum, what were your “a-ha” moments?
Category: Uncategorized Tags: 2010, collaboration, Event
2 responses so far ↓
1 Vicki van Alphen April 13, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Hey AC!
I agree that both of those presentations were very interesting and energizing. I was also amazed at how “plugged in” all of the attendees were – minimal amounts of people checking mobile devices, stepping out for calls, etc. One thing that told me is that many CIO’s value these opportunities for learning and networking outside of the office!
Here are some other nuggets that I jotted down during the Keith Ferrazzi session:
- High performing teams have 70% of the information flow going peer to peer and 30% from individuals up to the boss (unfortunately, most teams are the reverse)
- the highest predictor of high performing teams is Candor and Accountability
- Change Management – when driivng a significant change – who are the 25 most influential people that you can get on board and then let them be the ambassadors for the change
Thanks!
2 Steve Boyer April 14, 2010 at 11:43 pm
AC, in addition to the nice work by both Keith and Doug, I’ve had a number of clients comment favorably regarding the presentation on the “Virtualization Journey” by Rob Lowden of Indiana University. Folks who are just beginning to “dip their toe into the water” of virtualization have found good value from the insights that he shared in his presentation. Many others who have progressed further in the journey found reassurance in his words regarding the long term benefits. He made it apparent that this is a thoughtful process where you plan and learn as you proceed and that you correct your course as you learn. I really liked the theme of “IT as a Service Phase” as it seems that many organizations are beginning to get that message as evidenced by the findings reflected in our 2010 CIO Agenda.