Peer to Peer Magazine

P E E R T O P E E R : I L T A ' S Q U A R T E R L Y M A G A Z I N E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 9 35 • Treat these interactions as mini five minute meeting with a "How are things going" goal. • Schedule on your calendar time to walk around and talk to people, have lunch, etc. • Use a quota system when you're at an event. Example: I need to talk to five partners, three administrators, three paralegals, etc. This process has led me to be invited to dinner and drinks with our big clients where we discuss how we as a firm can better serve them. I am part of the firm's strategic planning team and practice group leaders contact me directly whenever they have a technolo idea. Lastly and most importantly, the firm's management committee views our IT department as an critical component of their business. Our perceived value is that IT allows them to better serve and retain their clients, makes it easier and safer for them to do their work, and allows them to focus on running their business. Getting a seat at the table is attainable but you must be willing to put in the work to change how the firm perceives IT's value beyond just technolo. ILTA must make an effort to connect and build strong relationships with these people in the firm. I have done this in past by buying whole departments lunch, taking attorneys to dinner, and having drinks with everyone at after work events. You may be thinking, "That's just schmoozing and playing politics". I would argue that this makes you more available to talk. The key thing here is that you want to establish yourself as an IT leader that is easy to talk to and open to their ideas. In these comfortable situations, they will bring up problems that annoy them. We've implemented many solutions that people have loved just by having that safe conversation and the phrase "I know this maybe silly but what if X". As an IT leader, it is very important to create a safe environment where people can be open with you. If you can do this consistently, you will be perceived as an "accessible problem solver". Now that you are an "accessible problem solver", you will need to be an "accessible business problem solver". You should now use the time at lunches, after work drinks, events, and even getting coffee to ask them "How are things in your practice" or "How are thing going in your department". If you are seen as safe and accessible, they will tell you. Once they do, you need to follow up with "Well, let me know if there is anything IT can do to help in your area". If this is done frequently, you will get feedback and potential projects. This will eventually lead to a "There's got to be a better way to do X" or "Is there a way my client can do X" conversation. Over time you will get praised for your efforts in helping the attorneys and the admin team solve business problems. If you're not a people person or an introvert, this can be hard and unnatural. Here are some tips for you. Isidore U. Okoro is the Director of Information Technology at Miller Johnson. He is an experienced Information Technology leader with particular expertise in developing innovative solutions to complex business problems. He has substantial managerial expertise, while maintaining technical proficiency in multiple platforms. He is a long-time ILTA member, attending ILTACON since 2007 and has served ILTA as both a dedicated speaker and volunteer. T H E R E ' S M O R E O N L I N E ! Want to learn more? You're in luck! Visit the link below to listen to the audio that corresponds to this article! iltanet.org/ spring-2019 https://www.iltanet.org/fall- 2018/innovative-culture L E A R N M O R E A B O U T T H E I N N O VAT I V E C U LT U R E AT M I L L E R J O H N S O N Photos © Sam Cooper Photography

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