Virtual Cio

This is a subscription service that provides access to our consultants for a pre-selected number of hours per month.  This service is fully tailorable to client requirements.

When to use our Virtual CIO Service:

• Constant deadlines and extra tasks must be achieved in short time-frames, and you need short bursts of extra assistance (perhaps a day, or two, per month);
• Confidence in knowing a skilled resource who understands the pressures of your role is just a phone call away;
• Being able to bounce your ideas to a peer to critique, or you want a second opinion on a report you are preparing.

Leadership Development

Leadership is all about working with people to achieve a common objective.  The content of this service brings leadership perspectives from many different sources.

Everyone has their own view of leadership, key traits and principles that work for them.  There is no one-size fits all formula for leadership.  That said, all good leaders possess certain core qualities, and great leaders simply develop said core qualities to a higher level. 

What We Offer

This service places a strong focus on working closely with your situation.  Establishing credibility, trust, and identifying the right culture for your people to perform.  A IT leader must source the best people for the tasks ahead, motivate them and then maximise the benefits by supporting all team members, targeting the highest levels of performance, positive contributions to the team, and job satisfaction.

Mentoring

Today the success, or otherwise, of most businesses is tied to the capabilities and competencies of their information technology.  Leading a company’s IT function requires a broad range of skills and experience.  Gaining access to impartial and experienced advice is yet another tool to assist management in making sound and informed decisions.

Given the importance of IT in today’s businesses, a mentoring service is a logical extension of the services we offer.  We understand the importance of trust and integrity in a mentoring relationship.  We fully acknowledge that a person places their career aspirations in the hands of another and is not a step taken lightly.

What We Offer

Through a series of one-on-one meetings, we can guide both experienced and new IT leaders, and their management teams.  We have all faced challenging situations in the past where we wanted not only help and guidance, but help and guidance from someone who has been there before and knows the terrain we are about to navigate.

The service provides an opportunity for leaders to express their ideas and concerns in a confidential, non-judgemental environment and leverage the experience of our mentor.  Sometimes it just takes a simple “That’s an idea worth running with” confirmatory statement from the mentor. Other times it may need a “That’s a good idea, but have you thought of…” questioning statement.

Our mentor’s goal is to leverage their experience and knowledge to provide broader outlooks and more options to consider.

This service can be extended to provide ‘an experienced head’ to help IT management navigate the rising tide of IT challenges faced by growing organisations.  It frequently involves providing a different perspective on an issue, problem or opportunity. Like the Sherpa taking you on a Himalayan mountain trek, you need a trusted guide, who metaphorically knows:

• What to pack for the journey (patience, tools, expertise);
• Where to get additional supplies (information, skills, opportunities, strategic alliances);
• How to make the journey a fruitful one (provide suggestion/recommendations);
• Which areas of the landscape to survey and areas to avoid (distraction from goals).

Governance

Effective IT governance is the mechanism that allows IT to operate like a well-oiled machine.  Strategic and operational planning, risk management, performance management, security and architecture, in all its forms, must be established, managed and kept in synch with each other.

• Effective IT governance provides a level of transparency to the organisation that addresses their concerns about IT, such as:
• Availability, security and continuity of IT services;
• Costs and measurable returns on investments;
• Quality and reliability of service – no embarrassments;
• IT focus and response, to the real needs of the business, and nimbleness to changing conditions;
• Identification and management of IT-related risks;
• Capability and skills of human resources;
• Compliance to legal, regulatory and contractual requirements.

What We offer

We offer our experience in all things IT, and our experience as business leaders, supported by materials to aid an organisation transform their IT governance to a level appropriate to its needs.