by Mark P. McDonald | February 10, 2012 | Submit a Comment
Whenever I am moving through an airport I have to take three bins to get through the metal detector. I need a bin for my shoes, toiletries, etc., one for my personal computer and one for my iPad. More often than not I get a funny look from the others standing in line, first for [...]
Category: Personal Observation Technology Tags: iPad, personal musing, Personal Observation, Technology
by Mark P. McDonald | February 6, 2012 | Submit a Comment
Every business book you read says that you need to have ‘executive sponsorship’ for any major initiative. Fail to involve the executives and you are likely to fail. That advice has become so prevalent that it is almost worthless. Getting executive sponsorship is not what matters; it’s the quality of the sponsorship that makes all [...]
Category: 2012 Change on the cheap IT Governance Leadership Management Personal Observation Signs of weak management Strategy Tags: 2012 planning, amplify, Leadership, Management, Personal Observation, Signs of weak management
by Mark P. McDonald | February 2, 2012 | 4 Comments
Last week I had the honor of being on a panel at the launch of the European Citizens Initiative (ECI). The ECI represents an innovation in the relationship between citizens, the government and representative democracy. Social media is at the center of the initiative representing one of the first formal ways in which social media [...]
Category: Innovation Personal Observation Social Media Social Organization Technology Tags: government, Innovation, Personal Observation, Social Computing, social media, Social Organization
by Mark P. McDonald | December 29, 2011 | 3 Comments
A new year brings anticipation and the promise of innovation and 2012 is no exception. Rapidly evolving technologies like mobile, analytics, social and the like are opening the doors for new answers to new and old questions about growth, efficiency, value and innovation. This is setting the stage for significant innovation in the coming year. [...]
Category: 2012 Management Personal Observation Tags: 2012 planning, Business Leadership, Business Management, Personal Observation, Strategy and Planning
by Mark P. McDonald | December 27, 2011 | Submit a Comment
I am sitting here between the holidays trying to put 2011 in perspective and think of the coming year. Frankly I am having a tough time thinking what 2011 was really all about and what that means for the future. I am having trouble drawing these into a single theme so rather than get writers [...]
Category: 2011 Personal Observation Tags: 2011 Planning, personal musing, Personal Observation
by Mark P. McDonald | December 19, 2011 | Submit a Comment
It’s that time of year; when it is better to give than receive. But what do you get a CIO this year? What is on your CIO’s wish list? With six shopping days left until Christmas here are six things I can think of talking with CIOs over the past few months. These are things [...]
Category: Fun Personal Observation Strategy Tags: 2012 planning, IT management, IT strategy, personal musing, Tools
by Mark P. McDonald | December 12, 2011 | 3 Comments
It’s the end of Gartner’s Symposium season and after a few weeks on the road I have been reminded of the signs that indicate that you have been travelling too much. 10 You do not have to purchase tooth paste, shampoo or soap as you can live off what is provided in the airline amenity kits [...]
Category: Personal Observation Tags: Humor, Personal Observation
by Mark P. McDonald | November 19, 2011 | Submit a Comment
I am reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, no surprise there as many people are doing so. In one of the earlier chapters, Isaacson describes the relationship between John Scully and Steve Jobs as one where Scully kept seeing himself in Job’s actions and behaviors. He was living under the impression, for a while, [...]
Category: Innovation Leadership Management Personal Observation Tags: personal musing
by Mark P. McDonald | November 16, 2011 | Submit a Comment
Project management performance and capability is a perennial issue among IT leaders. Project management is critical to the success of IT and the organization. Given the dismal rate of project success, one can call the competence of project managers into question. Just about every, conversation I have about project management centers on what is wrong [...]
Category: Management Personal Observation Signs of weak management Tags: IT Leadership, IT Project, personal musing, Signs of weak management
by Mark P. McDonald | November 11, 2011 | 1 Comment
Gartner’s first Fall Symposia and ITXpo in Barcelona is complete. I am writing this blog post on my iPad while I am flying to Frankfurt to start the trip to Australia and the Symposium there. It has been a rather full week with hundreds of presentations, meetings, more than 50 CIO workshops, thought leadership presentations, [...]
Category: 2012 CIO Economy Innovation Leadership Management Personal Observation Strategic planning Tags: 2012 planning, CIO Leadership, IT and Business, Strategy and Planning, symposium
