top 10 rules for it
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Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT
Copyright 2009
1. Get it in Writing (Dad’s Rule)It applies to many situations where we choose not to invoke it, such as, short term agreements or contracts, minutes of a meeting, verbal discussions, changes in plans, modifications, trade-offs, last minute changes in.....
Even better - get a picture or draw a picture
But, don’t get too bogged down.
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
0. Make a copy
Ground zero, disasters do ….
More pervasive than remote, off-site back-ups
Type a good sentence or line of code, ctrl-s and save it
About to make minor changes to some code - make a copy first.
About to hand-out your only pencil sketch schematic drawn during a meeting…
Make a copy and file it
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
2. Keep it simple (KISS)
Keep information solutions, system simple
Keep language in plain easy to understand terms, it is still about people
De-mystify, don’t add to the BS
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
3. Nothing is as simple as it looks
Making it simple is not easy
So organize your work in building blocks, achievable tasks
We call them “chewable chunks”
Do them one step at a time.
Create successful steps along the way, win/win.
The .com complex. We do live a complex world!
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
4. Everything is possible
With correct amount of time and money, or
Creative and brave
Think outside the box.
Short-cuts lead to innovation, and faster completion
Don’t be afraid to cut-corners, or leap tall buildings, mountains
Always challenge yourself, push yourself to try new things, or at least consider the pros and cons
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
5. Anything that can crash will
Always have a Plan BNot just a disaster plan
Look ahead and consider all what if’s
Predicting client behaviour
Options, approaches
Then create Plan B
Change Plan A, rule 0, rule 1
e.g. Friday Rule
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
6. Listen
Listen to your customer
Listen to your team members
Especially, listen to your gut.
JAD, RAD sessions, focus groups, feed back forms, surveys etc
There are not a lot of good listener’s in this world, so if you can do just this one thing well, you will succeed.
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
7. Set Deadlines
• Nothing gets done without a target date.
• Many small tasks and good ideas, do not get handled in this manner
• Includes monthly, yearly goals as well as life long ambitions.
• Write it down and give it a deadline, chances are good it might get done, don’t, and the chances are extremely good that it will NOT get done.
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
8. All deadlines can be broken
• Quality is better than quantity
• Doing quality work is more important than making a deadline
• No one will remember that you made the deadline if it doesn’t work.
• Do quality work, take pride in it
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
9. Test everything
• Test your code
• Test your client’s ability to receive your code (a dry-run implementation)
• Test your client’s ability to accept your work (this could be interpreted as getting progress payments after a UAT time period)
• Test your testers
• test yourself
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
Top 10 Rules of IT0. Make a copy
1. Get it in writing
2. Keep it simple
3. Nothing is simple
4. Anything is possible
5. Anything that can crash will - Always have a Plan B
6. Listen to your customer
7. Set deadlines
8. All deadlines can be broken -Quality is better than quantity
9. Test and verify everything
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009
10. Nothing in life is free
Thank you and have a great day
Craig’s Top 10 Rules of IT © 2009