Careers Slideshow: Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts

Your CEO Thinks:"You never want to explain WHY you're implementing this upgrade. You just want me to let you do it."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 2

Your Solution:Make the business case. Demonstrate how a new ERP will improve vendor service, show the business benefits you'll see when those new servers double capacity.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 3

Your CEO Thinks:"You act as if IT runs the business."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 4

Your Solution:Always remember, IT supports the business, not the other way around.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 5

Your CEO Thinks:"When asking for funding, you never understand why decisions are made from an enterprise level."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 6

Your Solution:The CEO is concerned about a large cross-section of departmental needs, not just yours. Show you have big-picture perspective about the needs of other senior managers.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 7

Your CEO Thinks:"You never speak like 'normal' people talk."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 8

Your Solution: Don't "smoke screen" your presentations behind a bunch of tech terminology and abbreviations that you know will fly right over the head of your CEO. Speak to be understood.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 9

Your CEO Thinks:"When it comes to customers - internal and external - you and your staff strap on an 'us versus them' mentality."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 10

Your Solution:A CEO doesn't want to spend time mending fences between your staff and other departments or, worse, between your staff and consumers. Your customers - internal and external -- are part of the fabric of your enterprise, not a constituency to ignore or alienate.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 11

Your CEO thinks:"I hate that you're constantly re-inventing the wheel."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 12

Your Solution:Resist the urge to build custom software for every new project. Think about where you can buy instead. Software and hardware are tools, not hobbies or "noble pursuits" that are above scrutiny.

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 13

Your CEO Thinks:"You implement projects regardless of shifts in the business."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 14

Your Solution:Determine how your project can now support, not hinder, business change. Example: Right after you got approval for a massive standardization project, the company announced it is expanding into Japan. How does this impact your project?

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 15

The CEO thinks:"You believe your entire value is based upon your intellect."

Eight Ways You Are Driving Your CEO Nuts - Page 16

Your Solution:Always remember your value is based upon how much your IT staff and resources help the overall enterprise achieve its goals.