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Articles by John Edwards
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7 secrets of successful vendor negotiation
Negotiation skills are fast becoming a CIO imperative. Here’s how to turn a single, initial purchase into a mutually beneficial, long-term vendor partnership.
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7 signs your IT training sucks
A skilled IT staff can mark the difference between proficient operations and failure. Beware the warning signs of training programs that won’t create the IT expertise needed for long-term success.
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7 ways to rebuild a failed IT organization
Your CIO predecessor had some unique ideas about IT leadership — most of them terrible. Now it’s your job to clean up the mess. Here’s what how to get IT back on track.
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6 tips for ensuring IT manager success
Are your department managers reaching their full potential? Here’s how to gain relevant insights into their performance — and to ensure necessary adjustments are made.
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6 IT management traps to avoid
When the work gets stressful, it’s easy to fall prey to quick management fixes that can harden into habits that do more harm than good.
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7 ways to win the IT talent war
In the battle for IT talent, victory goes to the bold and ingenious. Here’s how to ensure your organization outmaneuvers the competition’s hiring efforts.
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7 IT cost-cutting mistakes you must avoid
Are you cutting costs or cutting corners? Your job may depend on knowing the difference.
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Real-time analytics: 7 tips for success
Fast and accurate insights are crucial in today’s data-driven world, making real-time analytics essential for many enterprises. Here’s how to get it right.
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7 IT governance myths
Are flawed beliefs damaging your IT organization’s governance framework? Here’s a rundown of common fallacies that should be immediately rooted out.
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8 ways to get the most from your managed service provider
A growing number of IT leaders are turning to MSPs to help address challenges posed by rapidly evolving IT services. Here’s how to ensure your MSP provides maximum value and minimal distress.
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7 business skills every IT leader needs to succeed
Today’s CIO needs more than technology mastery. Long-term career success also demands a commitment to developing a set of core business skills.
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7 management books every CIO must read
Keeping pace with evolving management concepts and practices is as important as monitoring the latest IT trends. These seven books will ensure that your business management skills keep pace with your IT knowledge.
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7 ways COVID-19 has changed IT forever
Things will never be the same. Here’s a look at what IT will look like as the COVID-19 threat recedes.
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7 traits that separate IT leaders from IT managers
Is your career still rooted in the past? Here's how you can break free and reach new levels of leadership and performance.
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7 tips for modernizing data management
Data is an enterprise's lifeblood. Don't let poor management drain away your organization's most precious resource.
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7 signs it’s time to kill an IT investment
Saying good-bye is hard to do. Worse, however, is pouring precious resources into a project that's doomed to failure.
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7 reasons your AI strategy isn’t working
Where did it all go wrong? Instead of achieving success, many new AI adopters are tripping into common pitfalls that derail the technology's benefits. Here's how to get back on track.
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7 tips for leading multiple IT projects at once
IT leaders will have their hands full when COVID-delayed projects return to the front burner. Here's how to maintain oversight and guidance without losing sleep or sanity.
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7 attributes every IT leader must have
Leadership has little to do with one's title or seniority; it's an attribute that's earned over time through study, practice and commitment. Are you prepared to become a true leader?
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7 steps for making IT layoffs as painless as possible
It's the downside of any IT leader's job: telling skilled, productive staff members their services are no longer required. Here's how to make an unpleasant task somewhat less disagreeable.
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Remote IT’s future: Key lessons learned from this WFH era
COVID-19 made IT staff working from home a necessity. Should the practice now be viewed as a fresh path to improved productivity?
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7 ways to gain control over cloud spend
Does it seem like a sizable portion of your organization's cloud budget is disappearing into thin air? Here's how to bring some of that money back home.
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7 new rules for leading IT teams in the COVID era
Getting IT teams to work imaginatively and productively has always been challenging. New social distancing restrictions elevate a demanding task to a new and even more daunting level.
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7 steps to prepare IT for a second-wave COVID-19 outbreak
Lessons learned to date promise to help IT weather a second round of COVID-19 lockdowns this winter. Following a few basic suggestions could spell the difference between a trouble-free transition to remote teams and a viral meltdown.
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7 tips for getting the most from your project team
In today's challenging IT and business world, it's more important than ever to tackle new projects with people who will work skillfully and efficiently. Here's how to build your dream team.
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7 attributes to look for in a deputy IT leader
The CIO has become pivotal — and demanding. But having a trusted No. 2 can help ease the pain. Here's how to find the best second-in-command.
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7 low-cost, high-impact IT initiatives you can launch today
Launching an impactful project doesn't have to break your budget. Here are seven performance-boosting initiatives to push your organization forward — even in lean times.
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7 innovative ways to find scarce IT talent
Few are available, yet many are needed. A shortage of qualified specialists is forcing IT leaders to try alternative ways of finding skilled experts in a variety of fields.
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7 sure-fire ways to sour the business on analytics
True data value depends on business insights. Here’s how to ensure your analytics initiatives make sense to those who will benefit the most.
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7 ways to root out IT staff incompetence
To err is human, but repeated IT blunders can invite organizational disaster. Here's how to clamp a lid on your frequent fumblers without crushing team morale.
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7 ways to optimize IT team productivity during difficult times
Even in today's challenging environment, inspiring staff members to function effectively isn't as hard as many IT leaders believe. The secret lies in smart, adaptable management.
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7 secrets of successful remote IT teams
Don't let geography diminish your IT team's productivity. These simple tips will help you get everybody working collaboratively and effectively wherever they are.
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7 tips for coping with a limited IT budget
When less must be more, it's essential to allocate IT resources intelligently and creatively. Here are 7 ways CIOs can meet key goals when challenged by a restricted budget.
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7 tips for vetting the business value of emerging tech
Will a promising new technology be truly transformative or destructively disruptive? Only due diligence will reveal the truth.
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7 cloud cost management tips
As cloud budgets rocket skyward, a growing number of enterprises are looking for ways to cap costs. Check out these tips designed to bring cloud expenditures back to earth.
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8 tips for reducing technical debt (without killing operations)
Cutting corners is all well and good until a development project hurtles into a reliability and financial black hole. Here’s how to avoid the perils of technical debt.
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7 questions CIOs should ask before taking a new job
Will your new job be a dream come true or a career cul-de-sac? Asking the right questions before you sign is the best way to ensure an IT leadership role is right.
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7 ways to position IT for success in 2020
Look out, here comes tomorrow. Is your IT organization prepared to face the new year's opportunities and challenges?
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IT burnout: 7 ways to spot and help overwhelmed staff
When workloads go over the top, employee performance can sink. Identifying and supporting beleaguered staffers can help you boost productivity and stem turnover.
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7 steps to turning around an inherited IT department
Congratulations, you've just inherited your predecessor's IT dumpster fire. Now, it's up to you to get essential operations back on track. Here's how to get started.
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7 steps to stealth self-promotion and career advancement
Succeeding in the IT world without looking overly ambitious requires careful planning and commitments that extend beyond your current job's basic borders.
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7 ways to foster greater IT creativity
Creativity is the spark that ignites innovation. Creating a team that's eager to apply IT knowledge in new and exciting ways can lead to long-term, enterprise-wide benefits.
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7 secrets of high-performing IT teams
Getting staff to move beyond simply meeting basic goals is an art only select IT leaders possess. Here are seven performance-boosting techniques top IT pros rely on.
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7 tips for leading remote IT teams successfully
Managing virtual work environments requires an assortment of real-world skills and tools. Here are the tactics that inspire creativity and productivity.
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10 signs outdated IT systems are killing your business
When an IT asset turns into a business liability, an update or replacement is imperative. Here's how to know it's time to take action.
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7 ways predictive analytics can improve customer experience
AI-powered analytics can drive sales to higher levels by helping organizations anticipate customers' needs and exceed their expectations.
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7 cloud myths debunked
Don't let misconceptions cast a shadow over your organization's ability to get the most out of the cloud. Here are 7 cloud myths that should be relegated to history.
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7 steps to a well-architected cloud
Efficient cloud architectures don't emerge out of thin air. The best environments are constructed piece-by-piece from the ground up.
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