The CIO Playbook: Strategies and Best Practices for IT Leaders to Deliver Value

Chapter 7

Step 7: Grow

My main job was developing talent. I was a gardener providing water and other nourishment to our top 750 people. Of course, I had to pull out some weeds, too.

—Jack Welch

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Grow: Attract, motivate, and retain a talented IT team that works toward a common vision and mission.

- - - - - - - - - -

During my career in IT, I have developed a passion for building high-performance teams, and it has always been my top priority. With it, everything is possible. Without it you can count on failing at the other best practices described in this book. A sound talent management program starts with establishing a clear vision for your department and engaging employees by defining how they fit into this vision.

This chapter describes four practical strategies for talent management: standardizing job descriptions, developing a role-based training program, rotating your staff, and retaining critical skills. It's been a successful blueprint for me because it builds on the other six steps described in this book and brings together the methods, processes, and activities required to build a high-performance team—the ultimate competitive advantage.

Standardize Job Descriptions

Chapter 1 described an approach to defining the vision, mission, and goals of an IT department. With the purpose of your department defined, you can go about identifying the types of human resources you will need to achieve your vision. Job descriptions serve as the basis for ...