IT Governance Rule #1 of 3 - Make sure you are doing the right things

In part 1 of a 3 part series, this article describes an approach with applying IT governance concepts. You can find a quick and relevant global survey on IT governance that provides additional views here http://www.cio.co.uk/debate/116479/now-is-the-time-to-invest-in-it-governance-say-it-leaders/ How do you know you are delivering the processes & systems that the business wants and needs? At one end of the spectrum you may rely on your intuition or the "squeaky wheel with the corner office" and at the other end you may have a mature balanced scorecard capability. How well you answer this question may mean the difference between your company's arrival at their destination of choice or perhaps being "out in left field".

How do you chart the waters in front of you? Having a keen line of sight for your market combined with a business model to turn a profit within it, is a good start. Some decisions will be easy. Some decisions will be hard. How do you make the decisions to ensure that you are doing the right things. In a series of bullets, make sure that you have some degree of capability to address the following:

• Define your business strategy. The back of a napkin is on OK place to start.
• Establish one or more roadmaps to deliver the strategy. Allow flexibility and agility within your delivery models to change your roadmap.
• Evaluate and manage the risk associated with delivering your roadmaps.
• Establish financial traceability of your project approval process and the ensuing delivery of your roadmaps.
• Win fast and fail fast. Don't be afraid to make fast decisions or change decisions.

Making sure that you are doing the right things is more important now than ever. Resources, including funds and people, are more precious now than a year ago. Building a system where "no" or "not now" is an acceptable answer requires all the bullets above at a minimum.