Tag: Patrick Potter

Fresh Links Sundae – July 13, 2014 Edition

dreamstime_xs_25479412-240x180Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. I hope you will find these ideas thought-provoking at the minimum. Even better, I hope these ideas will, over time, help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass!

Many firms talks about the necessity of transforming themselves and moving towards becoming a “digital enterprise.” Bob Lewis recommends a three-step program to achieve the digital transformation. Is the “digital revolution” revolutionary? (IS Survivor Publishing)

The increasing use of cloud computing has led to IT losing control of some of its enterprise resources. David Linthicum explains how IT can reassert itself and bring oversight back on top of those cloud-based resources. How cloud computing can strengthen IT’s control (InfoWorld)

Often, a process’ deficiency requires us to perform deep analysis in order to discover the linkage. Ryan Ogilvie gives an example of how analyzing the appropriate change and incident metrics can lead to a productive examination of IT service issues. What percentage of ‘suckage’ does your #ITSM processes have? (Service Management Journey)

Business and IT both need to change quickly in order to meet business demand but still keep the risk at a manageable level. Martin Grobisen suggests ways we can use the change management process to improve operations and create an environment that fosters innovation. 8 Quick Tips About Change Management (ITSM Lens)

IT managers often face the unpleasant task of directing computing resources for a business application at the expense of another. Steve Brasen suggests two simple tips of leveraging ITIL to assist with the decision making. Prioritizing Workloads – Deciding What’s Hot and What’s Not (EMA Blog Community)

Working with many complex projects, we have to monitor and manage closely many aspects of the cost, schedule, and quality. Glen Alleman reminds us why maintaining a statistical mindset is crucial for managing today’s projects. Why is Statistical Thinking Hard? (Herding Cats)

Introducing the concept of DevOps to an organization is never easy because DevOps often bring an assortment of cultural changes. Ho Ming Li discuss five potential difficulty areas for this cultural-changing endeavor. 5 Common Barriers When Introducing DevOps (ActiveState)

As the World Cup games wind down, many of us have cheered on the US men national team, especially for goalie Tim Howard. Patrick Potter discusses what parallels we can draw from watching Howard’s solid performance during the tournament. What Does Internal Audit and Team USA goalie Tim Howard Have in Common? (RSA Archer GRC)

Fresh Links Sundae – March 2, 2014 Edition

http://www.dreamstime.com/-image5686314Fresh Links Sundae encapsulates information I have come across during the past week. Often they are from the people whose work I admire or resonate with me. I hope you will find these ideas thought-provoking at the minimum. Even better, I hope these ideas will, over time, help my fellow IT pros make better decisions, be awesome, and kick ass!

Filipa Preston believes that ITAM can play an essential partnering role to the business. She explains how ITAM can add value by demonstrating the bankable savings the project actually delivered while also showing how we can reduce risks to the business in the long-term. How do you convince the CFO? (The ITAM Review)

IT is well positioned to make positive contributions to many aspects of the business operations. Michael Hugos suggests ways that a CIO can help the VP of Sales in the organization. How the CIO Can Help the VP Sales (Enterprise Efficiency)

In today’s organizations, our job often is not to control change, but rather to control the impact of change on the project. Samuel Brown recommends four approaches when dealing with changes in project management. Four Axioms for Controlling Change (Global Knowledge Training Blog)

Many IT organizations are trying to transform themselves from a cost-center role into a value-added role. Pearl Zhu explains what steps IT can take to enhance their value-added approach. How to Run IT as a Better Business Partner (Future of CIO)

To many people, Agile means delivering results with short planning cycles and making adjustments as we go. While speed and schedule are crucial, Mike Cottmeyer reminds us that the ability to plan and to estimate well is critical to all projects. Managing Risk and Uncertainty in Agile (LeadingAgile)

Many Business Continuity Management (BCM) programs need to transform from a reactive, isolated activity to an integrated, solution-driven strategy that adds resiliency for the organization. Patrick Potter explains why the transformation is important and what BCM leaders can do to make more of an impact. Building A Stronger, More Strategic BCM Program (Continuity Insights)

Some product backlogs are unavoidable, but not all backlogs present a negative impact. Len Lagestee outlines eight signs for which the backlogs seem to be ineffective and should be actively managed. 8 Symptoms of an Ineffective Product Backlog (Illustrated Agile)

Business analysts often find themselves given a high-priority project with little time to prepare. Laura Brandenburg explains what a business analyst can do to clarify scope quickly and to put a reasonable timeline estimated in place. How to Create a Business Analyst Timeline (Bridging the Gap)

Many organizations use published corporate values to encourage certain behaviors from their leaders. In reality, Marshall Goldsmith believes that the leaders’ actions often speak much louder than words posted on the office walls. Leaders Make Values Visible (Marshall Goldsmith Personal Blog)

For some, public speaking means memorizing the entire speech and delivering it to the audience. Mitch Joel believes that is the wrong way of delivering speech and offer suggestions on how to make your speech add value to your audience’s time. Another Public Speaking Horror Story (Six Pixels of Separation)