Six Habits of Indispensable IT Pros
A slideshow I came across on Infoworld.com caught my interest the other day. The feature looks at the habits of indispensable IT pros. One thing that stuck out to me was slide one in which there was a link to an article describing why becoming indispensable can be a “double-edged sword.”
This list contains a common-sense approach to how you can make yourself valuable to your organization. Be a forward thinker, embrace new technologies, be useful to the business, and use mentors to take your career to the next level.
1. Get down to business
This recommendation means that you should not only master technology but also know the business. Certmag.com gives us some good reasoning why this is so important— this skill can make or break an upwardly mobile career.
2. Keep your eye on the bottom line
If you remember anything about the dot.com bust, this concept was completely ignored. Now, however, it’s a reality. Business owners want cost justification on everything. The New York Times looks at just electrical costs in its business justification for IT.
3. Keep your head in the cloud
Whether you like it or not, cloud technologies are the future, and your skill set will need to change. Cloud technology is changing the IT world, and this Rackspace blogger points out ten ways it has changed business.
4. Broaden your tech horizons
This should go without saying. Today’s technical skills are punch-lines for jokes five years from now. I have said this often—training is the lifeblood of technologists. ASTD.org breaks down the training dilemma and why it is important for your people to be trained.
5. Teach your coworkers to speak geek
This is a good idea and one that has major validity. The lunch-and-learn concept can help break down barriers for those folks in the organization who aren’t as technically savvy as others. It is also more informal than classroom teaching in that it helps to break down barriers between business and IT, though the folks at adage.com seem to differ with me on this concept.
6. Ditch the slackers—find a mentor
I can definitely attest to this one. Having a mentor or several can make or break your career. Finding a mentor who has gone through similar situations is best in helping you to avoid the same mistakes others have made. A short blurb on NCBI shows the value of being a mentor, and About.com discusses the value of having a mentor.
We all need to perform self-assessments as often as needed in our careers. I'll leave you with this one question: How many of these effective habits do you possess?
