As a leader, lining up what we say and what we do is imperative.  Character and integrity are measures of how closely what someone says lines up with what they do.  Retired Medtronic CEO Bill George makes this point in his book Authentic Leadership: “If you want to see employees become cynical, just watch what happens when the top executives behave in ways inconsistent with the company values.”  He’s right because leadership is all about setting a positive example for others.  There’s an Italian saying that “a fish rots from the head down.” I believe this is true in business—if things aren’t well in a company and you’re the leader, the first place to look is in a mirror—not out a window.  How does a leader exhibit true character? To me, it comes down to a lot of simple but extraordinarily important actions, such as:

• Taking the blame when you’ve made a mistake. It’s the right thing to do and it increases your credibility with your team. Jim Collins has said that “Great leaders look in a mirror when there is a mistake and look out a window when there is a success.” 
• Giving away credit. In my experience, doing so rewards you at a rate of at least ten times what you gave away. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.
• Being willing to make mistakes. As my father, Ted Salonek, taught me, “if you do nothing, you’ll make no mistakes.” So don’t be afraid to try and don’t be afraid to fail.
  

The mirror and window concept of a leader is discussed in depth by Jim Collins in his definition of a “Level 5” leader, which he calls the highest level of leadership and defines as "fierce will combined with humility." This combination makes the leader put the interest of the company ahead of his personal interest.  

Tom’s Takeaway:  True leaders take the blame when they've made a mistake but are quick to give away credit to others.

The word “leadership” has many definitions.  For me, leadership has two primary parts—how we think and what we do.  First and foremost, as a leader, it’s our responsibility to exercise thought leadership.  Earl Nightingale made the statement, “We become what we think about.” For leaders, this means having a positive attitude, believing in what’s possible, and anticipating the future before it happens.  

When problems occur, it’s only natural for your employees to look at you and wonder how you’ll react.  If you are fearful and believe the proverbial sky is falling, don’t be surprised when your people follow suit.  On the other hand, if there are problems and you define a goal that solves the problem, have a game plan, and move quickly into executing, your people will approach problems the same way.  In times of trials, “Adversity doesn’t build character.  It reveals it.”  

Tom's Takeaway: Leadership begins in the mind.  Think positively and your actions will follow.

The end game, the time right before a project finishes, can be difficult. Keep things manageable by focusing the team: turn off  e-mail and voice-mail. Beyond huddles, cancel all non-essential meetings. It also helps to keep the work in a known state. With multiple people making changes to a project, ensure that the details are pulling together.  In software development, this means building the entire application daily. 

It's tempting to strive for total perfection as the project is nearing completion, but stop and ask, "does this problem need to be fixed?" In software, sometimes with small problems the mere act of fixing the bug introduces more bugs! Avoid this by distinguishing the small problems that can be fixed at a later time from those that are truly critical.  

It goes without saying (but here I go), that the end of the project is not the time to solicit and add more to the project. This is the time to nail the requirements and "get 'er done!" If a project deliverable date must be changed, however, don't exchange one bad date for another. Instead, get the team involved in setting a new date that is realistic and then hit it. . . no matter what. 

Tom's Takeaway: Project end games can be smooth if the team focuses, makes strategic decisions about critical fixes and focuses on meeting the deadline. Be sure to celebrate when the project is delivered too...whether a formal dinner or a beer out with the team, it makes a difference and will be remembered the next time you're in "crunch mode."

An old adage, "plan your work; work your plan" has enduring business wisdom for today. Following a planned process makes particularly good sense in the constantly changing arena of software development.  

To keep work from becoming erratic or chaotic, we need process.  For software development, if you have a consulting partner, look to them for process guidance.  That said, while you may start with a partner's process, in the end, make it your own by continually improving upon it. 

I believe any smart process includes continually seeking and incorporating improvement based on feedback as well as just looking at what works.  At the end of each project, do a post-mortem.  Throughout the process, don't blame if mistakes occurred.  Instead, ask "what could be done differently next time to make it better?" 

Tom's Takeaway:  Work most effectively by following -- and continuously improving -- the work process. 

IBM built an empire on the word "think." Why is that concept so radical to many?  Perhaps because we spend much of our time "doing" in an effort to seem busy and productive. But thinking is the most important work we can do and it's key to delivering projects on time. To get people thinking and focused on a project:

• Encourage team members to constantly ask, "What could be done today that would the greatest impact on the future of the project?"
• Keep meeting, including daily huddles, focused. Set meetings for first or last thing in the day or right before lunch.
• Make meetings productive by encouraging decision-makers to make decisions when necessary.
• Encourage balance by keeping the work within the workday. By this I mean don't encourage an environment where "crunch time" is "business as usual." If you do, "crunch time" loses its meaning.
• Remember: there is no silver bullet. Success is the result of a series of tasks done consistently and well. 

Tom's Takeaway:  Don't get caught in a mindless activity trap. Instead, take time each day to think about the project and make decisions thoughtfully. Encourage your team to keep balance by working smart during the workday and saving "crunch time" for the real crunch periods. It's consistency over time that makes the real difference in the end.

In fast-moving environments--most companies today--daily huddles can keep communication consistent and effective. We use huddles and keep them to 15 minutes max. Each team member gives an update and a "daily number" is shared, which measures the overall health of the project. If you have six data consecutive points in any direction you have identified a trend. Each member also shares a "stuck item," which highlights problematic areas early and enables the slaying of monsters while they're still small. Huddles can cascade to keep everyone on the same page. For example, it there are three project teams working on the overall project, the separate project teams have a huddle followed by a huddle of three project teams and their superior. Tom's Takeaway: It can be tempting to forgo communication tools, like huddles, especially when you're in the end game and near project completion. Don't give into this temptation because this is when clear and consistent communication is most critical to project success.

At the start of a project with the team is in place, it's time for everyone to roll up their sleeves and define the problem to be solved. This may strike some as an unnecessary step, even a waste of time. Let me assure you: it's essential. There's an adage, "a problem defined is half solved." I believe this is especially true in software development. In fact, an IBM study found that well-defined objectives were the number one factor in successful projects.

• A good project definition should include: 
• A project plan defining the vision, Critical Success Factors and areas of responsibility. 
• A requirements document defining when the project is complete. 
• A prototype, mockup or demo that provides a visual tool for clearing up misunderstandings. 
• A Gantt chart or Sprint Plan stating who, when, what and related interdependencies. 
• A risk plan defining what might go wrong and what to do if it does.

Tom's Takeaway: Beginning a project without a clear definition and plan is like building a house without a blueprint.

What should a company do if it suspects its IT provider, or any crucial vendor, isn’t working out? Look for warning signs—missed dates, misunderstood expectations -- and if a switch to another vendor is unavoidable:

• Start by getting a copy of the all project code and build information. Also obtain the project plan, functional specifications, design documents and models, and all documentation.
• Select a replacement using referrals. When interviewing potential providers, ask questions that could have eliminated your previous provider.
• Ask the prospective provider about projects that didn't go as planned.
• When you make the switch, be directly involved. In working with your new provider, be upfront about what occurred with the previous provider.
• Don't wait until the first milestone to find out that key pieces of information, components or tools don't exist. Eliminate excuses.
• Keep the new vendor delivery-focused and watch out for the dreaded "not invented here" syndrome. That can occur when the new group wants to go back and change work completed by the previous provider -- not because the work was defective but because it wasn't built the way the new group would have preferred. If the new provider is insisting on rework, ask why and be sure to separate aesthetic squabbling from real performance issues.

Tom's Takeaway: In the end, changing your IT vendor, or any vendor, midstream isn't fun. But, with preparation and foresight, changing vendors won’t cause your project to sink.

Did your parents ever tell you to “get your head out of the clouds” when you were a kid?  The many practical benefits of cloud computing threatens to render meaningless that old stock parenting phrase.

Cloud computing promises to make computer viruses and PC upgrades quaint relics of the recent past. Another benefit: computing in the cloud means little or no capital investment is required to quickly scale up computer resources. It provides significant cost benefits because users typically pay based on the amount of time they spend in the cloud, thus reducing or eliminating the need for large investments in proprietary information technology infrastructures. And with important data stored in the cloud, companies have significantly fewer worries about critical information disappearing – or falling into the hands of a criminal – in the event that a laptop holding sensitive information is stolen or system-wide security is compromised.

It all sounds great, but what, exactly, is cloud computing?

Cloud computing involves using hardware or software offered by an independent provider over a network. For companies, particularly startups and smaller firms, cloud computing is particularly attractive. It enables them to tap into raw computing power, storage, software applications and data from large computer centers over the Internet—all without having to invest in their own data centers and buying servers and disks.

Virtualization is key to cloud computing because it allows a single computer to function as multiple virtual servers running many operating systems and applications. That’s important because in the cloud dedicated computers simply do not exist—each one can run many software applications at one time, with processing power and storage shared among applications depending on demand. Think of the cloud as a utility from which you purchase services and products as you need them, just like electricity or water.

While the term “cloud computing” is relatively new, the concept has been around for quite some time. People have been using Web email services like Hotmail for the past decade. More recently, millions have begun computing in the cloud via Web-based services such as Facebook, Skype, You Tube and Twitter that “live” on the Internet.

Providers include such heavy hitters as Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, EMC Corporation and their products include:

• Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon.com) that allows developers to buy computing power and storage on an as-needed basis and provides the same services as if they built their own data center.
• Cloudburst (IBM), sometimes called a “cloud in a box,” is a package of hardware and software that allows a company to build a private cloud.
• Decho (EMC) is a backup data-storage cloud.
• Salesforce.com (Oracle) provides cloud-based customer relationship management.
• Mozy.com (a unit of EMC) sells remote backup storage.
• Azure (Microsoft) competes with Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud.
• Google Docs (Google) provides the basic functions of Microsoft Office.
• Chrome OS (Google) is a cloud-focused operating system that promises to transform PCs and even mobile phones into simple devices that use a web browser to do just about anything a user needs.

As you probably guessed based on all marquee providers, cloud computing is big and getting bigger all the time. Yet for all the sophistication of the various offerings, the emerging clout of cloud computing boils down to something very simple: it allows organizations to focus on their greatest areas of expertise by letting others with computing specialization take care of those functions on their behalf. It’s a concept that your grandma called, “sticking to your knitting,” and its applicability to business has been intelligently explored in such books as “The Discipline of Market Leaders” and “Now Focus on Your Strengths.”

But beware: cloud computing does not absolve your organization of the need to do due diligence or to have a backup plan in place in case something goes awry. While legitimate service providers like Google and Microsoft already have multiple layers of redundancy in place to ensure data security, some organizations with legal responsibility for handling customers’ data with utmost care may prefer to build a private cloud for another layer of security.

Privacy, particularly in regard to trade secrets, is another sensitive area to consider. Even if under requirements of security and confidentiality, trade secrets may enjoy less protection when stored with third parties. A cloud user should therefore be aware of the possibility of third-party subpoenas and government requests for data, and should know what the provider will do in such events.

Since the definition of cloud computing is the ephemeral nature of data’s physical location, your agreement should address the question of jurisdiction in the event of a dispute. You also may wish to insist that your provider keep all your sensitive data with application hosts located within U.S. borders.

Just like regular clouds can occasionally get dark and cause temporary havoc, cloud computing is not 100 percent risk free. The temporary (more than one hour) outage of Google’s Gmail services last summer exposed a potential risk of cloud computing. But like all risks, the gains must be balanced in any cost-benefit calculation. For my money, cloud computing does not harbor undue security risks and the benefits are considerable—particularly for smaller companies that lack sophisticated IT departments.

This blog entry, as well as subsequent future entries, are from an upcoming book...

What makes a good customer? This might strike you as an odd question, after all, isn’t it the vendor’s responsibility to make the relationship work? While a vendor must go the extra mile, the customer also has obligations in making a vendor relationship effective. I think the same qualities apply to a good customer as to a good employee, a good friend, even a good spouse: trust, mutual respect and appreciation, and sharing that shows that each is committed to the success of the partnership.

Good customers:

• Clearly communicate expectations. Assumptions are a bad thing. Customers who share their expectations openly and early are much happier with their project outcomes.
• Provide clear direction and feedback to the project team to control scope.
• Understand that changes to a project that modify the original base requirements, often are necessary to provide the best solution. To account for this, a good solution is a change management plan, defined at the start of the project that outlines a formal process for changes. This process includes criteria used to determine if a change will actually be implemented or deferred to a later date.
• Take initiative in quickly removing road blocks for those doing the work.
• Share responsibility for success of delivery.
• Work to diminish the political boundaries that can emerge between consultants and full-time employees. Along with this, a good consulting team works hard to accelerate the expertise of existing employees so they can successfully maintain what they’re responsible for when the contract ends.
• Become actively engaged in the process all along the way (and gets key people involved and with some ownership).
• Do not overreact to minor setbacks.
• Communicate on a daily basis.

My Takeaway: Good customer-vendor relationships require both parties to participate, communicate and share responsibility for a successful outcome.