Anyone who has run an IT department knows that every day something new seems to crop up to take attention away from important projects and initiatives. That's because it's on you to make sure everyone has the tools and technologies to do their jobs. But it's also on you to inspire your team and company to invest in innovation and the future.
You can't do everything.
And you certainly can't do everything at the same time. As soon as you have more than one project (which is all the time) you need to set priorities. And it isn't easy, as anyone in IT will tell you.
CIO Magazine recently interviewed IT leaders across the country on how they have been able to move key initiatives along without getting bottlenecked or derailed completely by other pressing issues. Being able to prioritize is a key asset for IT managers and, if you're not exactly great at it, now is the time to brush up and get better.
Here are a few things to look at before you greenlight your next project:
Remember, too, that there will be times when you'll have to just say "no" to a project.
There are a lot of shiny objects out there and it takes leadership to separate out those which are more fun and exciting than useful from those that demonstrate authentic value.
While we're talking value …
What tools are you using to save money for your next project? Is your telecom/technology expense management (TEM) system up to date? It's a must-have tool to help keep you from overspending on invoices, equipment, contracts, and vendors.
So, while you're deciding whether to greenlight or redlight your next project, be sure you're running as tight a ship as possible and using tools like our WinBill® TEM to help you do it.