FEATURED ARTICLE:

SUPPORTING AGILE DEVELOPMENT AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL

by ARZIKA guest writer, Charles (Chuck) Suscheck · Agile Coach · Pillar Technologies
Agile Success FactorsCompanies using agile development must recognize that without the correct organizational philosophy, they won’t reap the benefits of agile. Companies often don’t even realize that they are following a path that can limit agile adoption. This article is meant to point out the different organizational philosophies and provide guidelines for detecting a philosophy that does not support agile development.

Agile development is more than a collection of techniques; it’s a set of values with a key focus on people over process, team self organization, and emergent behaviors. Companies that try to implement agile process without adopting a supporting organizational philosophy can be disappointed with the results. Engaging people, not just mechanically adopting agile practices and techniques, is one of the most important, difficult, and overlooked aspects of agile development.
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EVENT UPDATE:

GET INVOLVED EARLY AND GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SPONSORSHIP

Midwest Technology Leaders 2011 is May 12, which may seem like a long ways off, but think of it this way: the earlier you get involved, the more time you have to be seen on our website, featured in our newsletters and social media efforts (we love when our partners contribute content) and you might even be able to get on the 2011 agenda (which is currently being developed). Contact Rob Palmer for more information at (248) 275-1337 x 112.

FEATURED ARTICLE:

KEEPING THE “I” IN IT

by ARZIKA Guest Writer, Keith Ensroth · Senior Program Manager · Teradata Corporation
As IT leaders, we have many roles to perform. Information technology is a tremendously powerful tool for transforming an enterprise. We need to understand the business of those we serve. We need to remain current on those areas of technology that has the most potential for delivering value. We need to attract and retain the right technical talent, both employees and suppliers, in order to best serve our customers. In these and other roles, it is sometimes easy to maintain the focus on the Technology — forgetting the Information aspect of our jobs
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November 18, 2009 marked the close of the 2009 CIO Mentor Program, Elevate. A graduation ceremony was held at the Beaumont IT building in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Mentors, mentees, and the program’s support staff enjoyed a commencement talk by Paul Peabody, CIO of Beaumont Hospitals as well as hors’ d’oeuvres and “responsible beverages.”

The Elevate program is moving into is junior year and has been extremely successful. Overseen by Business and Executive Coach Barry Demp, of Barry Demp Coaching, the Mentoring Program pairs today’s top IT leaders with the Midwest’s best CIOs. The mentor and mentoree pairs meet one hour per month for a year, supplemented by quarterly best practices meetings (for mentors) and biannual workshops (for mentees). In an initial kickoff meeting, mentees are guided through the process of creating value for themselves throughout the program, identifying goals before the first meeting and are invited to contact their mentor. Mentors have an initial kickoff session as well, and are asked to work with their mentee to create a meeting schedule that works with both parties. Periodic meetings throughout the year give mentors and mentees the opportunity to evaluate their experience and give feedback to program facilitators.

Mentors have quarterly best practices webinars with Barry Demp, where they explore topics such as the various distinctions of mentoring, how to incorporate coaching in the experience and how to become a mentor for life. This year there were 18 participants chosen to participate in the program, nine progressive CIOs and nine aspiring IT leaders from the Michigan technology community.

2009 Mentees included:

• Charles Flagg, Oakland Community College
• Jeffrey Payne, MGM Grand Detroit
• Joseph Richards, R.L. Polk & Co.
• Justin Taylor, Continental Automotive
• Kayla LeBlanc, Oakland Community College
• Mark Blakeslee, John Deere Landscapes
• Steven McCue, City of Birmingham
• Steven Robert, billhighway.com
• Vincent Williams, Awecomm Technologies

• Joe Sawasky, CIO, Wayne State University
• David Behen, CIO, Washtenaw County
• Ruthanne Largent, CIO, MGM Grand Detroit
• Sue McGuire, CIO, Thetford
• Roger Rehm, CIO Central Michigan University
• Jim House, CIO, GKN
• Paul Peabody, CIO, Beaumont Health Systems
• Ken Theis, CIO, State of Michigan
• Michael Thibideau, CIO, Webasto Roof Systems Inc

Kayla LeBlanc, Director of Academic Technology at Oakland Community College, shared her thoughts on the mentor program. “[The program] helped me gain confidence in myself and my leadership skills. Having a mentor available to coach me through my challenges was so valuable. Not only did I set professional goals for myself, I also achieved personal goals as well. That was a surprising bonus!” Now that the 2009 program has come to a close, applications are now being accepted for the 2010 program which is scheduled to begin in January.

To read more testimonials from the CIO Mentor and mentees and learn more about the CIO Mentor Program, Elevate, visit www.midwesttechnologyleaders.com or www.automationalley.com.