Ok, as another year rolls over and you wonder what happened, why everything in 2013 seemed like a blur just like the years before then take heart you are not alone. Jokes aside, apart from the resolutions ritual that most go through at this time of the year seeking to become a better person, etc why don't you add one more - How to retain the best talent in your IT department? All things being equal amongst all your competition like the best software, data center, process, infrastructure, Six Sigma, CMM, ISO, blah..blah the only thing that in my opinion that really differentiates you from the rest is the quality of the people you call the IT department. It is not funny the number of times I have seen IT organizations, managers, directors, VPs, CIOs etc just letting their best talent walk out the door without even realizing that they are shooting themselves in the foot both short term and long term. In a world that is deficit of quality IT people it is a tragedy to see this time and again being staged in the name of a few dollars, budget and bruised egos. As companies start small like a start-up for example the camaraderie and self-motivation that is spontaneous is nearly absent in big organizations. Trust me, size of the organization is not the problem, it is the conditioned minds of the so called leadership which tends to isolate itself behind process, cabins, doors and corner offices that are to be blamed. Most often these guys in some companies are managing hundreds of people, just think about this, do you think it is physically possible for a single guy to have any sense of relationship with these people. No. Then why do it, people are not just numbers and a box in a labyrinth call the "Org Chart", people in the end are people, if we expect the best out of them then companies serious about maintaining an edge have to create an environment where everyone gets noticed, acknowledged for what good or bad they do, individual contributions are made known to all.. in essence creating the small start-up mentality where everyone knows everyone. This is when workplace transforms itself to the promised land of high-performance simply because we took care of the guys and girls and a sense of family and belonging is created, and there is no longer the false facade of metrics, measurement and evaluation, instead we have adults taking care of business and doing whatever it takes to achieve the common goals. Create an environment where everyone knows where the group needs to go and everyone is self-motivated to get their together. After all we don't manage our families by Gantt charts, performance evaluations, goal setting and all the other BS.... we simply talk! In the end for an IT department people are not only the most important assets but they are the only assets that matter, so know them, nurture them and set your company free to achieve the best.
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