5 Major Enterprise IT Management Faux Pas for 2019

Sure, not every management process you implement will be perfect. But those responsible for managing enterprise technology can experience severe consequences if the IT management mistakes are not prevented. The approach should not only highlight how to avoid the mistakes but also recover from it. But before we directly jump to the IT management faux pas for 2019, it is important to recall the stakes as they are pretty high. Mistakes in the IT management department causes delays in the deliverable and creates processing inefficiencies. They consume more organizational resources, which can otherwise be used for executing new processes and projects. In short, they have a negative impact on the overall business recoverability and continuity.

IT Management Operations - What You Need to Know

It is also important to note that the IT management mistakes can have an impact at the project level as well as the operational level, both of which can be detrimental to the organization's recoverability and resilience. It has also been noted that in most IT environments, the more technically-aware and skilled people move to the managerial roles. You are left with the IT staff that may require IT ops training and other online IT technical training to acquire the skill set required for efficient IT management. The training ensures the team is equipped with the additional skills required for team management as well as for establishing an interpersonal and administrative program. While you always have the option of hiring new people with strong administrative and technical skills, it is a better option to invest in your current employees to improve their skills and knowledge to get the support you need in this area.

Major Enterprise IT Management Mistakes

Here is the list of the five biggest IT management mistakes you are likely to make and the solution to avoid them and recover easily.

Failure to Utilize Appropriate Resources

This is quite a common issue that IT management leaders tend to make. They fail to prioritize the processes and invest resources inappropriately. The resources are not assigned based on who is the best person at a given task. Instead, it is based on vague criteria of availability. Indeed, some people are more skilled in a specific task and are likely to perform better in that area. Investing and assigning the right resources accordingly can make it easier to complete the job. Often, as a result, the managerial roles are played by technical wizards with little or no managerial knowledge, and the people with strong technical skills are working on project teams. This could put the operations in a bad state with lack of talent and skills. The key to fix this mistake is to identify the core strengths of each person in the team. The IT management leaders must carefully weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the staff and put the right people for the right job.

Failure to Validate Process

A big operational gap can occur when new implementations are made without proper review, testing, and validation. The managers must test the processes at the project level with sufficient comprehensiveness. Validating the process is a crucial step that most IT managers fail to implement. To avoid such a situation, it is important to invest more time and carry out more process testing and validation. If there's a backup, it is essential to monitor it until you are satisfied with its progress. Also, conduct testing on the restoration process. Start with a small chunk of data for testing and restoration purpose. And implement the same processes for post-project reviews. Assess the processes you need to input for the project to make this move a success.

Ignoring the Operations

Unfortunately, most IT managers performing in a management environment fail to carry out a satisfactory job in the 'operations' area. Just like the resources, the focus is also on the projects because they are innovative and new. With the diversion in focus, even the operational management is pushed aside, and operations get ignored. Doing so can damage the enterprise as operations are the lifeblood of your business. To rectify the mistake, the key is to give operational processes the attention they deserve. Adopt a proactive approach towards the risk involved in your current processing environment. Identify the problems and look for solutions before you are doomed.

Hyper Reactive Posture

IT departments can be quite self-centered when it comes to overall business management. Living in the moment can be a major mistake if that's the approach. The department fails to identify the issues and let go of the threats until it has a negative impact. Keeping a more proactive approach is the best way to deal with this mistake. Use 5-minutes every day to carry out an informal risk assessment for your project to ensure everything's on track.

Sugar Coating

This is particularly applicable to IT management communication. The IT style of communication can be both dishonest and not in understandable terms. Sometimes, it is too good to be true and hence regarded as sugar coated. Typically, this occurs when you need a report on the progress of a certain project. Concealing problems is only a temporary solution that could break havoc on the operations in the long run. The IT management needs to be more honest and clear with the progress reports to avoid this mistake. It's prudent to give a heads up in case you detect a potential problem. That will bring the entire organization on the same page, and the progress will be much faster when everyone's a helping hand.

Training your staff and enlisting them in certification such as CCNA and Windows PowerShell Automation can resolve more than half of your issues and enable you to capitalize on every given opportunity. Thus, it is very important for businesses to train its IT management team and to identify and avoid these mistakes mentioned above to keep themselves from losing money, restricting growth, and limiting the ability to capitalize on the best available opportunities.