Number 5. Not creating a partnership with business management
I find a great deal of IT managers reporting to operations and finance personnel instead of presidents and CEOs. The only way IT can be an effective and strategic element in business is through partnership with business executives. Through your actions and reports you must influence your peers and leaders in order to have the maximum impact on the organisation. The quicker you can get on the leadership team, the quicker you will have the ability to deal effectively with mistake Number 1.
Number 6. Burning yourself out
I can't tell you how many IT managers I mentor that have not had holidays for a year or longer and routinely work over 70 hours per week. This is not only a mistake, it's a formula for disaster. Sometimes the thinking is that your business can't live without you. The truth is, your business cannot live with you burning yourself out. It only leads to lowered productivity and, eventually, your giving up or getting disgruntled. Do yourself, your business, your employees, and your family a favour and take some time off.
Number 7. Not testing your backup solution
I always tell my new IT managers that one of the most important aspects of their jobs is ensuring a reliable backup. Breakdowns in technological hardware are inevitable. The next best thing is fault tolerance, but I have even seen that fail. Don't think for a minute that if you have backups and everything looks OK in your system that everything actually is ok. Make sure you test your backups regularly. Do test-disasters and make sure you can recover.
Number 8. Not asking for help
Too often I've seen costly mistakes made by managers and technicians who try to solve an issue alone without informing anyone or even reading the manual! This is a costly mistake. If you get in over your head, seek help. The key to successful IT management is not knowing the right answers; it's being able to find them and executing a solution as quickly and cost effectively as possible. Don't hesitate to bring in the experts where necessary.
Number 9. Not devoting time to personal development
There's no excuse for this mistake. Personal development is not your company’s responsibility -- it's yours. I can always tell a person’s success potential by the last five books they've read and by the seminars they've attended. Every IT manager should be devoting at least 30 minutes a day to personal development. The truly successful devote even more and, in some cases, upwards of two hours or more per day. The most common excuse I usually hear is the lack of time or money. The answer lies in the successful management of money and time.
Number 10. Not finding a mentor
The quickest route to success is to find someone who has been there and emulate that person. The quickest road to pain, hardship, and failure is to try the journey alone. Whether you are in management or not, you should always have a mentor and you should always be mentoring someone else. A mentor will simply help you achieve more than you could by yourself by imparting wisdom, accountability, and crucial advice where necessary. By coaching or mentoring someone else, you're doing the same, but you're also solidifying your own concepts by teaching them to others.
