You can’t fix a flat tire with a hammer. You can’t fix a roof with a tire iron.
Similarly, you would never ask a plumber to build you a house and you would never ask a contractor to build you a car.
You need the right tool for the job. But you also need the right person holding that tool.
In most cases, the IT guy at a company is great at figuring out why the Internet is not working. Or how to get a virus off a computer. But is that IT guy capable of telling you what software or systems you are going to a year from now? Is he or she capable of showing you how technology can help you grow your business? How you can scale up and expand? Is the IT guy able to help you build your company?
IT people have very little time to be proactive, let alone strategic. They are firefighters, making sure the lights stay on and the doors can stay open. It is an incredibly important job. But most companies overlook the other important part of the job … the strategic part. Can your IT guy handle that?
Regardless of what you do, these are the types of questions you need to ask yourself as an executive. Is your staff looking with one eye toward the future like you are, or are they looking down hoping that if they don’t make eye contact, they won’t be called on for an answer?
When your IT guy does not have the answer, you need to look at a technology strategist; someone that can fill the role of a Chief Information Officer. Small businesses may know they need a full-time CIO, but their budget do not allow it. That’s why a virtual CIO might be the best solution. This is IT2.0 in action.
If you want to know more about what a virtual CIO can do, send me an email and we can talk.