Tag: mike sisco

#6 – Start a Journal

Friday Fun

journal_mike-siscoI started a personal journal in 1998. Then in 2000, the year I left my corporate CIO position to start my company, MDE Enterprises, Inc (also known as the IT Manager Institute), I created a 2nd journal that focused strictly on my company. For many years, I kept 2 journals – a personal journal and a company journal.

“So what?”, you might ask.

I guess my point is that I wish I had started journaling at the beginning of my career. From time to time, I will look back through an early journal and it always strikes me about things that happened that I had essentially forgotten. Many of these memories are special and I’m so thankful I took the time to put them on paper.

My company journal chronicles the events of my young company, , , growth, strategies, and many memorable experiences that would be lost had I not put them in the journal. So glad I did because it puts me “right there” when I read about them. I can literally feel the excitement and anxious moments when I launched a new book or training class or developed a new year strategy.

I know there are some great experiences early in my career that I wish I could remember, but they are probably lost forever. Likewise, there are people I have met along my long journey that I don’t remember, , , experiences and events that would be nice, even interesting, to read about now.

journal_MDEI’ve given hundreds of journals to people in the last 20 years or so.

  • Every Christmas I give a journal to a few of my family members
  • Dozens of MDE journals to  IT Manager Institute class members
  • Journal gifts to people I’ve worked with in consulting roles
  • Journals and fountain pens to special friends and family

In doing this, many have taken up the hobby of journaling. My sister-in-law takes it to new heights, , , her journals are amazing. My brother journals in a more basic manner but he is an excellent writer. He and I enjoy the experience of using fountain pens and that’s the pen of choice when journaling.

Me, I add photos, graphics, and even try to draw some to try and make my journal pages more interesting to look through. As you might expect, there are lots of photos of Dorine (my late wife) and Eddie (our son). GREAT MEMORIES are worth documenting, I think. Private thoughts, dreams, documenting special events that happen, and just putting ideas down are all part of what I do. There is no exact method, , , you simply write down what you want to record, , , or put in an image that makes you feel good, , , or at least, that’s what I do.

GREAT MEMORIES are worth documenting!

What caused me to write this article?

Good question and a memory that I’ll be writing about in my current journal this weekend, , , because it means something to me. I received a letter this week from Matt Branigan, a CEO who hired me as an “interim CIO” for a company in 2014-2015. He needed me to fix the IT support organization and ultimately help them find a permanent CIO, which I did. Matt became a good friend, so when my time came to an end I gave Matt a journal with a personal note inscribed inside. In his letter, he mentioned the journaling caption I wrote about in my annual Sisco Christmas Letter this past December; and he said he had started journaling in a leather bound journal with handmade paper given to him by a good friend, , , ME !!!!

WHAT A SPECIAL TREAT IT WAS TO RECEIVE MATT’s LETTER AND COMMENT!

journals

Believe me when I tell you that looking back in your journal will be rewarding and fun later in life. Again, I wish I had started earlier in my career; but I’m grateful to have started when I did in 1998. Lots of great content in my journals, , , even a few dollars hidden in some of the pages for a reader to find, , , JUST FOR FUN!!

The perfect time to start a new journal is anytime, , , but the beginning of a year works really well.

GOOD LUCK, , , and enjoy the experience!

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#6 – 3 Key Things Lead To IT Manager Success

Tuesday_TIPS

2023-2024Managing an IT Organization is hard work to be sure, especially to do it effectively. But, you might be surprised that the formula for IT success is actually pretty simple when you get right down to it.

I’ve managed IT organizations for over 20 years and after that I delivered training to IT managers all over the world for another 20+ years, , , that’s over 40 years of being in the IT manager arena. I’ve had my share of successes as well as a few failures that became great learning lessons.

To get to the point, I think there are three key ingredients that help you succeed in your IT Manager role:

1.  Deliver projects successfully – Being able to deliver a project successfully is THE KEY to gaining credibility for an IT organization and for you, the manager. This creates predictability in the fact that you can do what you say you will do. It also creates trust from those around you (senior managers, department managers, and your IT employees). Always remember, , , “the key to IT credibility is delivering projects successfully”.

2.  Focus on business value – Your IT strategy, your IT priorities, and how you think and act should be focused on BUSINESS VALUE. Believe me when I say that senior managers and department managers (the business managers of your company) will see you in a whole different light when they observe your focus and communication is all about business value, , , i.e., doing things that help the company succeed. Where most IT managers miss the boat is that they focus on technology and they speak in technology terms, acronyms, and the like. Do this and business managers see a “techy”, not a business manager.

           Business Value includes:

  • Increase Revenue
  • Decrease Cost
  • Improve Productivity
  • Differentiate the Company
  • Improve Client Satisfaction

3.  Communicate proactively – IT managers, in general, have a very poor reputation for not communicating effectively. Make it your mission to proactively communicate with your client (Senior managers and Department managers) and IT employees. They all want to know what’s going on, the status of key projects, and the direction the IT organization is taking to improve. Your ability to communicate relevant information proactively makes a world of difference and gives you an edge up on other IT managers.

I encourage you to focus on these three key things in 2024, , , it will pay dividends for you and your IT organization.

Best of success!!

I appreciate your LIKE, COMMENT, or SHARE of this article.

 

 

    Where is my car?

    Friday FUN #5

    Friday Fun

    Looks like Eddie will be discharged from the hospital today after a 5-day stay. He is doing well and we are both looking forward to getting home, , , and back into our “normal” mode. Both of us have been in this little hospital room since 5:00 am Sunday morning. Because Eddie has no short term memory due to the auto accident he suffered in 1993, I or someone is with him 24×7, , , because of the snow storm it has been just me this time.

    As I start thinking about the transfer, my immediate thought is, “Where is my car?”.

    I know it is right where I parked in front of the ER when I arrived here. I’m sure it is still covered with snow and ice, but no worries, , , we are going home today!

    So, how does this tie into a Friday FUN post?

    Simple, I “lost my car” in the parking lot of an IT Support organization based in Philadelphia once. Watch the short video and laugh it up at my expense.

    CLICK HERE to watch the video.

    where_is_my_car

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    Tuesday TIP #4

    Tuesday_TIPS

    Motivate Staff With An IT Kickoff Meeting

    mike siscoWant to do something that will JUMP START YOUR NEW YEAR?

    The beginning of a new year has a feeling and an energy you get that you want to take advantage of. People feel somewhat renewed and excited about entering a new year. They are back from the holidays and there is a level of excitement in the air.

    One of the first Practical IT Manager Training Series videos I created was about holding an IT Kickoff Meeting. In it, I cover all the things you need to do to deliver a professional, effective, and memorable Kickoff Meeting. These timeless principles and the process will work for any organization.

    My first experience with a Kickoff Meeting was when I was an IBM Systems Engineer. It was highly motivational and easy for me to see the value in such an event. I incorporated Kickoff Meetings into my management agenda and it certainly paid dividends for me, , , it can do the same for you.

    CLICK HERE to watch the 35-minute video, , , it will walk you step by step through a comprehensive process to create an effective KICKOFF MEETING that they aren’t going to forget, , , GUARANTEED!

    KICKOFF MEETING

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    Tuesday TIP #3

    Tuesday_TIPS

    Managing Remote Employees

    remote employeesIs managing remote employees a new situation for you? Or maybe, you are discovering it to be a challenge.

    If so, you need to read this article and watch the video below. Managing remote employees is a new trend in companies sparked by the COVID that began in 2020. This might be your first experience in this area, and I can tell you firsthand that it is a bit uncomfortable in the beginning.

    I’ve been managing remote employees since 1987, , , a long time. At first, I was a bit nervous about it (actually very nervous), but before I knew it I was settled in and it just became the norm of managing my IT organizations. We didn’t have tools or even the Internet in 1987, , , but we found effective ways to communicate and achieve the successes we needed to achieve.

    In managing remote employees, COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY !!!

    Today, we have excellent tools to help you communicate with anyone, , , anywhere in the world, , , just as if they were sitting in your office.

    OK, , , I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but it wasn’t too long ago that these tools did not exist. With the need to allow workers to work remotely due to COVID in 2020, these tools became critical resources for managers of the world.

    Just take a look at the growth of ZOOM and you get an indication of this. Revenue spiked two quarters in a row in early 2020 and maintained record levels through the end of the year. COVID and the need to manage remote employees had a lot to do with this.

    ZOOM_Revenue_Growth

    I started using online meeting tools around 2010 after my discovery of video recording tools in 2006, so I’ve been using technology a long time to both record training videos as well as to conduct online meetings with IT managers who follow me, , ,  long before COVID.

    I introduced ZOOM to a company I was consulting with in 2015. They were spending quite a lot for a tool that was not working for them. ZOOM solved this problem quickly and helped me manage the IT Organization and the CEO manage the company more effectively that was spread across the US.

    To manage remote employees, you need two key things:

    1. Effective communications environment
    2. Process to manage remote employees

    Learn all about these critical elements in the 20-minute video titled, Managing Remote Employees

    CLICK HERE to watch the video.

    manage_remote_employees

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    Tuesday TIPS

    Tuesday_TIPS

    TIP #2 – Time To Start Thinking About 2024

    It’s hard to believe 2023 is almost finished. It has flown by and it’s time to start wrapping up the year.  I hope it has been a good and successful year for you.  think-3

    This is also a great time to start thinking about next year – 2024. For me.  I have always spent some time at the end of the year (usually the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day) to reflect and try to map out some goals for the next year. Some call this developing New Year Resolutions.

    I’ve developed New Year Goals my entire career, started when I was with IBM at the beginning of my career, , , notice the THINK pad image. I can tell you for certain that much of what I accomplished was because I gave it some thought and wrote it down to achieve.

    Anyone can tell you that you are much more likely to achieve something when you write it down. Why is this the case? I believe there are several reasons:

    1. You give it thought
    2. It’s a commitment to yourself
    3. Helps remind you when you see it
    4. Helps you focus on things you want to achieve

    I’ve always created two lists, , , one that is business focused and the second is for personal things. And once again, I will tell you that doing this has helped me achieve many things I wanted to achieve in my life because of the commitment I made to myself.

    That’s really the important thing, , , making a commitment to yourself! 

    I can look back at the New Year Goals I wrote down over the years because I kept them all in a file folder. It is easy to see many of the things I wrote down were accomplished. Would these things have been achieved anyway without writing them down? Possibly, but I’m confident many would not have been.

    So, take an hour of your time between now and the end of the year and write down the key things you want to accomplish next year, both in your business and personally. Planning creates definition which leads to focus and results in achievement! You might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

    PLANNING –> DEFINITION –> FOCUS –> ACHIEVEMENT

    Mike_Signature

    2023 Sisco Christmas Letter

    eddie-2CLICK HERE to open our 30th Edition of the Sisco Christmas Letter.

    2023_xmas_Letter

    It all began in 1994 in a very simple 1-page letter with our Christmas card to update family and friends on our son’s progress after spending all of 1993 in the hospital and an acute rehab facility. Eddie was in an auto accident on January 2, 1993 and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He had to learn how to do everything all over again.

    For 29 years, we sent paper Christmas Letters with our cards. This year, I decided to put the Christmas letter online for several reasons:

    • Much easier to prepare and distribute
    • Reaches a larger audience
    • Provides more options over paper
    • No cost
    • Allows the reader to zoom in for larger text or image

    CLICK HERE to open our 2023 Sisco Christmas Letter.

    2023_xmas_Letter

    Hope you enjoy this year’s Sisco Christmas Letter, , , and have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    We appreciate your LIKE, SHARE, or COMMENT.

    Happy Birthday USMC

    Today, November 10th, 2019 is the 244th birthday of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). I was in the Marine Corps from April 1969 to April 1973. In looking back, I can truly say that these were important formative years for me and I’m proud to have served my part.

    I met some great people and a few truly unique characters to be sure. Our son Eddie was named after Eddie Hunt III, the son of a Master Gunnery Sargent Dorine and I knew when we were stationed in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt became close friends and we had some great experiences with them during our first two years of marriage.

    Happy Birthday Marine Corps!

    MDE Enterprises, Inc.

    I created my company, MDE Enterprises, Inc. on September 1, 2000. In the beginning, I didn’t know what I really wanted to do other than I wanted to do something with the Internet and probably avoid consulting work.

    At the very start, we were a consulting company with a 3-month contract with my last company where I had been their CIO. This eventually went for 11 months before we parted ways for good. It was good revenue for us in the beginning and allowed me to focus on developing the real MDE company for the future.

    During this first year, I decided to write a book and try to sell it on the Internet. So, What To Look For in a CIO was written. Mid-way in the development of this book, it dawned upon me that I really needed to write a series of books to discuss how to do things that an IT manager needs to be able to do to achieve success.

    What happened was that I had an eye-opener, , , what I needed to do was to do what I had been doing for my entire career, , , teach others how to manage an IT organization successfully.

    I still remember doing the “all nighter” when I drafted the Table of Contents of 9 more books that I thought I needed to write. All of a sudden, I have an immediate road map and I’ve sort of settled into what would become my company’s mission, “helping IT managers of the world achieve more success“.

    After a year, I completed the last of the 10 books I had set out to write. Once completed, I embarked immediately on creating the IT Manager ToolKit to give to “early buyers” of my full series of books. After completing the 2nd book, IT Management-101: fundamentals to achieve more, I created a web page and started selling the entire series (10 e-books) for $179.00.

    Yep, I started selling all ten books even though only two of them were completed. What was amazing is that by the time I completed all ten (about 10 months later), I had sold 104 sets of the unfinished full series. I call these people “early buyers”.

    When I completed the IT Manager ToolKit, I sent them all an email message with a download link for a free ToolKit, something I hadn’t envisioned creating until I was working on the 8th book.

    I gave them more than what they paid for because of the good faith and trust they had placed with me. It felt really good.

    In addition, I immediately increased the price of the full series of e-books including the ToolKit to $279.00 which is what it is today, 17 years later.

    I went on to write 5 more books and develop a considerable amount of training that has taken me around the world, , , posts for a later date. Nine years after publishing the full series of 10 books, I rewrote them and changed the covers to reflect that they are all part of a series.

    The “full series” of the Practical IT Manager books

     

     

    THINK

    When I worked at IBM in the late 70’s and early 80’s it was something very special. I have great memories of the clients I had and the IBMers I worked with. These experiences had a major impact on my career development.

    One of the things I remember from the very beginning of being with IBM was a theme of “THINK”. This brand was part of IBM’s culture at the time and there were little reminders to reinforce it.

    One was the THINK desk plaque shown above. You would see this plaque on desks and in many other places in an IBM environment. I would see them on top of IBM computer systems in a client’s office quite often , , , probably still a few of these roaming around companies who have been with IBM for generations. I still have mine.

    Another item they gave me during my IBM Rookie days was a THINK Notepad.

    It was handy for carrying with you and taking notes when with a client. Very small and functional. I used up many fillers for my notepad.

    I also still have this item in my box of career memorabilia.

    I probably didn’t think much about the message embodied within this brand of “THINK”, but it makes sense and was simple and to the point, , , just like IBM wanted, I imagine.

    I think of the IBMers I worked with quite often. They hold a special place in my heart and memory bank. They were without a doubt some of the most professional and fun people to work with in my entire career.

    Maybe it had to do with the fact that I was right out of college and still young and impressionable, but I think more of it was the sense of teamwork and camaraderie we had in the General Systems Division (GSD) of the Jackson, Mississippi office.

    Another item we had that was handy was IBM note cards. They were simply blank 80-column cards we used in the old days of card systems with the message “THINK” printed at the top.

    I think our local office had these made up and we simply stocked our supply with them to use as needed, , , sort of like nice golf clubs put out free golf tees for players to grab on their way to the first tee.

    “THINK” has long been an IBM theme. Have you ever heard the term “thinkpad”?

    Yep, it is IBM’s (now Lenovo) laptop brand name. They continue to use the word “think” to promote their products and services all these years.

    I have three Thinkpads. One is a powerful machine that I use as my desktop, but because it is actually a laptop I can take my entire office with me if I want. It’s larger and heavier so I rarely unhook it from the docking station that has all my desk peripherals connected (monitor, presentation TV on the wall, scanner, external speakers, external microphone, Logitech webcam, etc.).

    The 2nd is a Lenovo X1 Carbon Thinkpad that I use for travel. I’ve had this laptop for several years now. It’s highly functional, very light and thin, and has a long battery life when needed. Love this laptop.

    The third is an older IBM Thinkpad that I keep around just in case of an emergency.

    IBM’s use of the theme “THINK” looks like it has worked out pretty well.