The document discusses habits of excellence in IT organizations. It identifies 7 key habits: create trust, develop a proactive culture, understand the company/business, align with company goals and objectives, lead people and manage things, adapt to change, and embrace a passion for learning and improvement. Each habit is then further explained in 1-2 paragraphs with more details on how to demonstrate that habit.

1. Palomino
We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, therefore, is not an act,
but a habit.
Aristotle
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

2. Palomino
Branding IT –
Habits of Excellence
It Takes
Strategy, People, and Process
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

3. Palomino
7 Habits of Excellence
in IT Organizations
 Create Trust
 Develop a Proactive Culture
 Understand the Company/Business
 Align with Company’s Goals and Objectives
 Lead People - Manage Things
 Adapt to Change
 Embrace a Passion for Learning and Improvement
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

4. Palomino
Excellence Benefits
 Faster Throughput (projects and processes)
 Less Costly (unit costs)
 Better Quality (products, software, systems and processes)
 More Agility (change)
 More Capacity (w/o more resources)
 Better Risk Management
 Better Place to Work
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

5. Palomino
Habits
Knowledge
(what and why)
Habits
Skills Desire
(how) (want )
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

6. Palomino
Build Trust
Character + Capability = Trust
(What you say, (What you can do,
How you say it) How you do it)
Adapted from Stephen R Covey
With high trust, success comes faster,
better and at lower cost.”
David Neeleman
Founder and CEO
JetBlue
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

7. Palomino
Build Trust
Emotional Bank Account - Character
Deposits (+) Withdrawals (-)
Think Straight, Talk Shows Disrespect
Straight
Listens to Respond
Listens to Understand
Not Trusting
Manages Expectations
Talks Behind People’s Backs
Works to Right Wrongs
Avoids Conflict
Puts Employees First, Then
Talks the Talk, But Does Not Walk
Customers, Then
the Walk
Stockholders
Being Intolerant/Inflexible
Promotes Win/Win
Decisions
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

8. Palomino
Build Trust
Emotional Bank Account - Capability
Deposits (+) Withdrawals (-)
Keep Commitments and Does Not Hold People Accountable
Delivers Results
Makes Excuses
Manages Risks
Blaming Others; Not Taking
Solves Root Cause of Responsibility
Problems
Sells Poor Ideas
Promotes Continuous
Does Not Understand the Business
Improvements
Does Not Measure Success
Admit When Wrong or Do
Not Know Reactive vs Proactive
Demonstrates Leadership Not Aligned with Business
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

9. Palomino
Develop a Proactive Culture
 Take Responsibility
 Be Accountable
 Reward Initiative
 Keep Commitments
 Manage Expectations
 Anticipate/Prevent
Problems
 Manage Risks
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

10. Palomino
Understand the Company/Business
 Industry
 Business Model
 Customers
 Products/Services
 Challenges
 Economics/Financials
 Processes/Systems
 Competitors
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

11. Palomino
Align with Company’s
Goals and Objectives
 Align with Short/Long
Term:
 Enterprise Goals
 Business Unit Goals
 IT Goals
 Then, Personal Goals
 Know when Goals Conflict
 Put First Things First (Covey)
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

12. Palomino
Lead People,
Manage Things
Lead Manage
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

13. Palomino
Lead People,
Manage Things
 Mentor People
 Teach and Coach
 Energize People
 Motivate and Inspire
 Embrace Core Values
Lead  Talk the Talk, Walk the Talk
 Promote Ideas
 Develop and Sell Winning Ideas
 Demonstrate Courage
 Make Tough Business and People
Decisions
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

14. Palomino
Adapt to Change
 Maintain an Abundance Mentality
(Covey)
 Trouble or Opportunity?
 Keep a Positive Attitude
 Enthusiasm and Energy are
Contagious
 See Habit #2 – Anticipate
 Develop Agility
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

15. Palomino
Embrace a Passion
for Learning and Improvement
 Learning or Improvement is
a Journey not a Destination
 Areas (priority varies):
 Business
 People
 Leadership
 Process
 Technology
 Management
 Measure and Reward People
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

16. Palomino
Synergy
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

17. Palomino
Effort/Return
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

18. Palomino
7 Habits of Excellence
in IT Organizations
 Create Trust
 Develop a Proactive Culture
 Understand the Company/Business
 Align with Company’s Goals and Objectives
 Lead People - Manage Things
 Adapt to Change
 Embrace Passion for Learning and Improvement
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC

19. Palomino
Terms of Use
Palomino Consulting Group, LLC (Palomino) hereby authorizes you to copy materials
published by Palomino on its Web Site solely for non-commercial use within your
organization (or if you are a Palomino Partner, your customer's organization) in support of
Palomino services and products. No other use of the information is authorized. In
consideration of this authorization, you agree that any copy of these materials which you
make shall retain all copyright and other proprietary notices in the same form and manner as
on the original. Except as specified above, nothing contained herein shall be construed as
conferring by implication, estoppels or otherwise any license or right under any patent,
trademark or copyright of Palomino or any third party.
ALL CONTENTS OF THIS MATERIAL ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT. EXCEPT AS
SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED HEREIN. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO MODIFY OR CREATE
DERIVATIVE WORKS OF THIS MATERIAL FOR ANY PUBLIC OR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
2009 Palomino Consulting Group, LLC
www.palominoconsultinggroup.com