Core Elements of IT Project Success
In the IT industry, the success or failure of projects is heavily influenced by the people involved. This article discusses the importance of natural talent, the increasing demand for IT personnel, and the essential qualities to look for when hiring IT professionals. It also highlights the negative impact of dysfunctional IT organizations and the phenomenon known as "The Dead Sea Effect."
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Presentation Transcript
CS 428 Webster #1 Winter 2024 Bruce F. Webster
Studies and experienced observers agree: people matter most when it comes to IT project success or failure Core issue: a lot of that is natural talent (cf. music, math, art, athletics), and not that many people are inherently good at IT Over the past 70 years, demand for IT personnel had massively outstripped supply That trend will continue Observations and experiences? The Real Software Crisis (BYTE, 1996) CS 428 -WINTER 2024 MONDAYS, 300 5:30 PM BRUCE F. WEBSTER 01/29/2024 2
Follow-up to Real Software Crisis identifies five essential qualities to look for in hiring IT personnel Talent: inherent IT-related talents (not a single talent, not a single yes/no) Experience: our most painful experiences are usually our most informative Professionalism: be reliable, be reasonable, get your work done Education: those with education in CS/IT have an advantage over those without Skills: honed skills in specific languages, methodologies, technologies Observations and experience? TEPES (2008) CS 428 -WINTER 2024 MONDAYS, 300 5:30 PM BRUCE F. WEBSTER 01/29/2024 3
In dysfunctional IT organizations, your best people tend to depart quickly, leaving behind the less talented, less skilled, less competent Overall quality of IT organization declines over time and becomes hard to improve It s not unique to IT (though IT is very sensitive to it) It s not true of all IT organizations; just dysfunctional ones or those heading towards dysfunction Not everyone left behind is necessarily incompetent Observations and experience? The Dead Sea Effect (2008) CS 428 -WINTER 2024 MONDAYS, 300 5:30 PM BRUCE F. WEBSTER 01/29/2024 4
