A good friend of mine, Nate Beran, just put up something he calls IT vs I&T. It is a really great read about where the general IT industry is heading and where people can be placing themselves to not just keep their positions (a valuable thing to be sure), but to also be of greater value to the organization you are working with/for.
Here’s is the quote that gets to the heart of the unique opportunity available to I&T workers right now:
IT has a special place in business. We’re often one of the few business units that spans the entire organization. Everything we do affects every team in the business.
That is 100% true. Currently technology is such a central part of almost everything that is done in every organization, but more and more parts of what IT has traditionally overseen is getting pushed outside by various stakeholders in the company in pursuit of every larger profits, opportunities, or sometimes even kickbacks.
However, IT still is in the position to see how all of the disparate pieces are currently working together and to give insight into where pain points are because, guess what, we often are trying to smooth out those pain points for people. Spending time trying to think proactively instead of only reacting to issues gets momentum going forward.
While I don’t think IT will ever go away, the role of an IT worker is changing. There will always need to be someone to answer that call at 7:00 am when your Comcast lines go dim, but there is a greater need for people to take a look at the whole and then come up with ideas on how to make that whole work … better.
Work for that.