If you start with the outcome you’re trying to achieve, then results become easier to measure. Measurement is another one of those basics that are part of the foundation of transformational IT. Seasoned CIOs know that to effectively capture data-based metrics around the quality of what it is they’re doing and the magnitude of the benefit they’re creating for the business, a process framework (business capability-driven ITSM, DevOps, etc.) is a necessity. By measuring outcomes, you are able to bring facts and hard data into your dialog with business partners.
As an IT leader, it’s your responsibility to recognize and reward your people who are striving to be brilliant at the basics. Too often, the flashy, high-profile projects get the attention, but they may not support the business in a way that less glamorous “basics” like reliable email and videoconferencing do.
Much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs—where food and shelter form the base of the pyramid, and self-actualization forms the tip—only by laying a solid foundation can your IT organization reach the heights of innovation.
(Interested in more on this topic? Read, “The Innovative CIO: The Catalyst to Driving Digital Transformation.”)