Can IT be strategic? Is there such a thing as Strategic IT, and if so what is it?

When the Chairman emailed the board requesting performance improvement suggestions, my reply was simply two words - "Tribal Warfare". This captured his imagination, at the next board meeting he siezed on my words eagerly and to my horror, having entirely misinterpreted my meaning, outlined his ideas for inter-departmental competition within the business.

As published in Isle of Man Newspapers http://www.iomtoday.co.im/isle-of-man-business/How-can-we-spot-managerial.5912266.jp an article about leadership, developing leadership in management, and the role of Servant Leadership.

One of the enduring problems in business is that of promoting employees into "management" positions. Good workers expect to be recognised, rewarded, and progress up the rungs of the ladder in return for their commitment and contribution to the organisation. One day, if they're lucky, the next rung of the ladder is a management position in which they will be responsible for other workers who execute business process instead of doing all the grunt work themselves. Often we promote people who have delivered exceptional results as workers into the coveted management role, only to see them inexplicably fail.

Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, Myspace etc.) has become one of the most popular uses of the Internet. It connects people and allows them to interact when they're apart; families, friends, ex-colleagues... Because it offers staff a distraction from work it is often seen by managers and business owners as a threat to productivity – so is it? and if it is, what can you do about it?

As published in Computer Weekly, a short piece by SBA's Steve Burrows about how the UK standards "industry" is failing the huge majority of businesses.

As published in Computer Weekly, an article explaining why the IT management methodologies, standards, expectations and pressures placed upon organisations by the IT industry are inappropriate for many small and medium-sized enterprises, and what the focus of IT management should really be in those organisations. The text is reproduced below: