Strategic Information Technology vision development and planning is a rare skill. When achieved and practiced there is great benefit for the enterprise as well as for employee satisfaction and well being. Excellence in Strategic Planning is not automatic. It must be learned from other great planners and visionaries in the information technology career field.
Thomas S. Ireland has over forty years in the information technology career field. He has written a series of well-received books written for the strategic planner who, if they do their job right, makes it possible for the enterprise to excel! Their ability to clearly envision the future of the marketplace, the competition and the enterprise means the difference between long term success and failure. The strategic planner’s skill is vital and their decisions may be of broader consequence than those of most others in the organization. Their ability to put all this information into a concise, clear, energizing, action oriented Vision Statement can make the difference between organizational success or failure over the long term.
The purpose of these information systems and technology books is to pass along the result of a series of business and personal experiences in the information technology career field and the teachings and guidance of some great mentors. Those experiences and mentors combined over time to provide a set of skills and knowledge about how to develop simple, clear information technology strategic plans supporting long term enterprise objectives.
These books, in different forms, take the reader who wants to have an information technology career from the initial development of mission and vision through the creation of an information technology strategic plan that will help the entire enterprise achieve excellence. Along the way Mr. Ireland shows how to seamlessly and fully integrate IT infrastructure and tactical path with the enterprise thus making the Information Technology team a high regarded component of the core enterprise.
Strategic Leadership excellence is a rare commodity in the information technology career field. When achieved and practiced there is great benefit for the enterprise as well as for employee satisfaction and well being. Leadership excellence in not automatic. It must be learned from other great leaders. So, it is important to find Information Technology and Information Systems mentors early in a technologists career if their goal is to reach the leadership ranks.
Mr. Ireland’s books present a variety of streamlined planning tool for the information technology career strategic planner that can be used effectively in any type of organization whether it is a corporation, non-profit or government enterprise. Through a series of logical steps these books help the career technology planner to first understand the vision, infrastructure and operation of the enterprise they are supporting. Using this information a complementary vision and infrastructure are developed for the IT group supporting the enterprise.
The desired objective the professional information technology career planner must be looking for is an IT plan that not only supports, but also enhances, the ability of the enterprise to achieve its business or competitive objectives.
An excellent tool that Mr. Ireland reveals is a one page Guiding Document that states in clear terms the Strategic Target, the Benefits provided by the Strategic Plan, and the Action Items that will be taken by the team to achieve those Benefits. This planning methodology has successfully been used by the author for more than a decade.
Here are some passages from Thomas S. Ireland’s books that have been repeatedly highlighted by readers.
The CIO and team who bring the full power of technology value to the business will dramatically improve the enterprise’s position in their industry and the position of the IT team in their enterprise.
Leaders know that if they unnecessarily take on administrative tasks they won’t be in the proper frame of mind to lead. Excellent leaders stay in their leadership roll all the time!
Our goal is to develop a Technology Strategic Target that supports and enhances the Business Strategic Target
Each of Mr. Ireland’s information technology books is written for the information technology career strategic planner who, if they do their job right, makes it possible for the enterprise to excel! Their ability to clearly envision the future of the marketplace, the competition and the enterprise means the difference between long term success and failure. The information technology career strategic planner’s skill is vital and their decisions may be of broader consequence than those of most others in the organization. Their ability to put all this information into a concise, clear, energizing, action oriented Vision Statement can make the difference between organizational success or failure over the long term.
