CEO as barrier session at 08NTC

OK, so Marnie Webb from TechSoup hosted the session on changing CEO from Barrier to Partner at the recent NTC hosted by NTEN. WOW what is it an awesome session or what!?!?

Here are some deep thoughts and ideas from it:

• Get leadership to make the management decision you want them to, not the tech decision you will make. For example ask them to approve a tech security strategy, not which firewall to buy. Or ask them to approve a desktop refresh strategy, not which desktop to buy. Etc.
• Look for ways to have a personal relationship with CEO, non work topic, talk about kids, interests outside of work. Make leadership see you as a person, not just a freaky techie!
• Understand the pressures being put on a CEO by the board
• CEO's dont see themselves as barriers and that is not their goal. They just may not understand tech and need to be diligent.
• Always start a conversation with the problem you are trying to fix, not the solution you are trying to get.
• Ask for a specific budget that includes a variance, show that you have researched options, risks, etc.

There was a lot more and I know that Marnie is working on sharing more notes from her session, but these were some biggies that jumped out at me.

If I let people post, comment or share on my site, what will they say?

John Kenyon just said something very simple at a session at the 2008 NTEN NTC but fun to think through. If you don't provide a place for people to comment on your site, they will just go somewhere else to do it. And then are you missing the chance to reply to them.

So yes, if you open up your web site and allow people to post, share or comment, they may say things you dont like. But then reply and explain your side, or better yet have one of your supporters reply.

But where this gets fun to me, is what happens when you dont have a reply because the people commenting are right! Most criticisms have some basis of truth in them. But hey if this happens, maybe this is an opportunity to make a change based on that input.

Hmmmm.

Awesome post at http://theartoftechnology.blogspot.com/

Go visit the ART of Technology, good description of the role of technology to support the mssion:

http://theartoftechnology.blogspot.com/