This week’s “Back To The Future Series” post is a Harvard Business Review article, “Getting IT Right”, co-authored by Charlie. We think it will captivate you, not only because of the insight and vision Charlie shows in this piece, but because of the accuracy with which he depicted the challenges IT and business would be facing today, in 2020, some 16 years after this article was initially published. Charlie has a unique ability to cut through the noise, and use a common language that allows both IT and business leaders to focus on what is truly required to transform an enterprise. In the article, he discusses “three interdependent, interrelated, and universally applicable principles for executing IT effectively”. These principles have proven effective over time, and enable the agility necessary to pivot in a crisis, like the one we are currently facing.
Not only is this article 110% relevant today, it is even more relevant because it puts into context how long many legacy companies have ignored doing what needs to be done to remain competitive in the modern era.
This article should be required reading for all senior leaders, and shared with anyone who asks:
- Why does IT continue to cost more than it should for what I get?
- Why does our company struggle to pivot when faced with a crisis or a new market dynamic?
- Why does technology always seem to be the big constraint?
This article will provide context about why all these questions are still being asked today, and give insight into why we can’t outrun it, can’t throw more money at it, and can’t work around it or avoid it. It’s time to go through it – together. It’s time to get IT right.
Read “Getting IT Right” on Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2004/02/getting-it-right
Author: Kenny Feld, Principal, The Feld Group Institute
Further Learning
Many of these concepts are covered in depth in The Feld Group Institute’s learning and development courses.
Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash
