New Job Playbook

This is one of those mostly just for me type posts. For a couple of the jobs I have been interested in, part of my preparation includes thinking about what I would do in the first 30 - 90 days. Of course it would vary by job, but these are some of the things I might want to do:

• Create or review the service portfolio/catalog - especially understanding the relationships between systems
• Review projects - recently completed, underway, and proposed
• Spend one-on-one time with the IT staff - review their background, link their roles to services and projects
• Meet with key stakeholders in the lines of business/departments
• Meet with key suppliers/partners and review contracts
• Review any recent customer satisfaction survey data or conduct a survey
• Review expense and capital budgets including YTD/previous year actuals
• Review current IT policies and procedures
• Review recent audit findings (governance, controls, security)
• Complete a basic maturity assessment

With all that information, I would really want to focus on the differences. For example, do the stakeholders and IT team members both see the same problem areas? Do they agree on where IT is most effective? Are the projects aligned with the needs as expressed by the stakeholders? Is the money spent going toward the things that are most important? Are we training people before we start bringing in technologies?

I'd also take a look at the service catalog to see if there are opportunities for consolidation/integration. Are there services we should move in-house or be better off buying?

Ultimately, this analysis would lead to the strategic plan that would set goals for the coming years. It would, more than likely, result in changes to the day-to-day operations.