We highlighted four broad areas they would have to master over the next few years:
Trawling through the countless comments received was no mean feat...and thankfully, it was a spam-free exercise.
Junk mail aside, IT Manager Australia reader Matt Tavani made two points of contention:
"For years, IT has got away with just delivering something--maybe half working, maybe not working at all, maybe way over budget and way under supported...I don't think this can fly much longer," Tavani said.
He believes IT managers will increasingly be pressured to deliver real and measurable business improvements.
"Rather than just rolling out the latest desktop config or software applications, they are going to be required to deliver systems that can be shown to improve the way business is done, as well as the profitability of doing it that way.
"The IT manager will need to be the person who sits there and asks 'do we really need this?'" he added.
In the soft skills arena, the IT manager of the future will have to double as counsellor, coach, negotiator, and cultural change expert.
"The thing I have seen kill so many teams is that the leader has no idea about people, what drives them, what motivates them, what makes them go mental! And thinking that HR or corporate services will deal with [sensitive] people issues is a big mistake," he said.
In working with internal and external parties, he said IT managers will increasingly need to balance different personalities, and foster a culture of fun and enjoyment at work whilst producing results and meeting deadlines.
It's clear that IT managers can no longer live on technology alone. You will need to broaden your knowledge beyond the tech sphere and be equipped with leadership tools. And in time, your presentations skills will have to be on par with your troubleshooting skills.
If you have any comments, please e-mail IT Manager Australia.
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