How to find your Mr/s Wonderful- ITFM

Finding Mr./Ms. Wonderful
For Your Staffing Needs
Mike Serber
Thavron Solutions
Copyright 2015 Thavron Solutions, LLC

Introduction

Introduction
• Why did I choose this topic?
Copyright 2015Thavron Solutions, LLC

Introduction
– Focus on the “human” side of ITFM/TBM

Introduction
– Focus on the Analyst role

Introduction
– Focus on “soft skills”

Introduction
– It’s the people who make or break the effort

Introduction
– Many of you have your own thoughts on this topic

Introduction
– Many of you have your own thoughts on this topic
– Let’s learn from our collective experience

Introduction
• My Background

Introduction
• My Background
– Music

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
• Music Education degree

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
• Taught school band for 4 years

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
• Private music teacher for 45 years

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
• Community Band Director, Brass Band player, trumpet performer,
composer, arranger

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
• Community Band Director, Brass Band player, trumpet performer,
composer, arranger
• You’ll see why this is relevant later

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
– Technology

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Programmer/Analyst

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Analyst/Programmer

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Data Base Administrator (DBA)

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• Financial Analyst

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• IT Financial Analyst

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• TBM Analyst

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• TBM Analyst
• Configurator

Introduction
• My Background
– Technology
• Programmer
• Analyst
• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• TBM Analyst
• Configurator
• Consultant

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
– Technology
• What I’ve learned

Introduction
• My Background
– Music
– Technology
• What I’ve learned
– Integrate my life experiences and passions into a deep
understanding of what skills, especially “soft skills”, are
required to be effective in the IT and Finance industries

Introduction
• Today’s Topics:

Introduction
– Focusing on the role of ITFM/TBM Analyst, or on YOUR
role

Introduction
– Focusing on the role of ITFM/TBM Analyst, or on YOUR
role
– Answering the following 3 questions:

Introduction
• What is the Nature of the Work?

Introduction
• What are the 7 Critical Skills?

Introduction
• How to find the Right People?

Introduction
• No earth-shattering revelations

Introduction
• Just common sense concepts

What is the Nature of the Work?

• Initial Data Gathering

– Coordinate the efforts to identify and gather primary
Financial and IT Asset data

• Accurate and complete IT Financial (Cost) Data - General Ledger,
Fixed Assets

• Accurate and complete IT Financial (Cost) Data - General Ledger,
Fixed Assets
• Accurate and complete IT Asset (Portfolio) Data – Applications,
Servers, Storage, Databases, Data Centers, etc.

• Data Mapping

• Data Mapping
– Map IT Costs into Cost Categories (Cost Pools) – Labor,
Hardware, Software, Depreciation, etc.

• Data Mapping
– Map IT Assets to Applications

• Data Mapping
– Identify Portfolio of Business Services

• Data Mapping
– Identify Portfolio of Business Services
– Map Assets to Business Services

• Data Mapping
• Cost Allocation

• Cost Allocation
– Determine and implement strategies for allocating IT costs
to IT Assets

• Cost Allocation
– Determine and implement strategies for allocating IT costs
to IT Assets
– Determine and implement strategies for allocating costs
from IT Assets to Business Services

• Data Mapping
• Cost Allocation
• Periodic (Monthly) Processes

– Load/refresh data files

– Assess data quality and completeness

– Generate reports

– Compile presentations

– Compile presentations
– Communicate results to constituents

• Data Mapping
• Cost Allocation
• Other Critical Tasks

– Handle requests for system changes

– Create new reports

– Resolve problems

– Troubleshoot issues

– Fight fires

– Fight fires
– Participate in fire drills

– Fight fires
– Participate in fire drills
– Save the world

What are the 7 Critical Skills?
• Must be breathing

• Desire or interest in doing the work

– Often overlooked, because it’s so obvious

What are the Critical Skills?
– A person who enjoys their work -

• Works to overcome the challenges and obstacles of the job

• Derives satisfaction in doing a good job

• Applies themselves with energy derived from their enthusiasm

• Applies themselves with energy derived from their enthusiasm
• Tolerates the “!@#$%” that comes with any job

• Seeing relationships

– Good old analogies (remember the SAT/ACT tests??)

– (blank) is to (blank) as (blank) is to (blank)

– Understanding relationships between things

– What links things together, what is common between things

– Dog is to puppy as cat is to ____

– Dog is to puppy as cat is to kitten

– Winning is to everything as ___ is to brass band members

– Winning is to everything as beer is to brass band members

• Identifying patterns

– How does one thing progress to another?

– For example: 2,4,6,8 – what comes next?

“Who do we appreciate?”

– For example: 2,4,6,8 – what comes next?
– “Who do we appreciate?”
– The ability to recognize patterns is an immense help in
solving problems in the IT field

• Problem-solving ability

– The single most critical skill

– There will always be problems to solve in this role

– The ability to solve these problems quickly and efficiently is
a critical factor for success

– The previous 2 critical skills, Seeing relationships and
Identifying patterns aid in advanced problem-solving

– The previous 2 critical skills, Seeing relationships and
Identifying patterns aid in advanced problem-solving
– Also aided by viewing a problem in creative ways

• Detail orientation

– “It’s all messed up!”

– “What exactly is the issue?”

– “What exactly is causing this issue?”

– Perseverance

– Perseverance
– Eye for detail

• Interact with people at many levels

– and, know what’s important to them

• Upper-level management

• IT Finance

• IT Finance
• IT Owners (Storage, Security, Data Centers, Applications)

• IT Finance
• A plus to have credibility with IT and talk their language

• IT Finance
• Understand and communicate technical concepts to non-technical
people

• IT Finance
• Understand and communicate technical concepts to non-technical
people
• Understand and communicate financial concepts to non-financial
people

How to find the Right People?
• Targeted Selection

– Match strengths of an applicant to the critical skills needed

– Ask questions to elicit responses to determine skill match

– Examples:

– Examples:
• Critical skill: problem-solving ability

– Examples:
• Critical skill: problem-solving ability
• Question: “Tell me about a difficult problem that you were able to
solve”

– Examples:
• Critical skill: Interact with people at many levels and know what’s
important to them

– Examples:
• Critical skill: Interact with people at many levels and know what’s
important to them
• Question: “Tell me about a presentation you’ve had to give. Who did
you present to and what did you try to communicate?”

– For good examples, google “Targeted Selection” or
“Interview Questions”

• People in compatible fields

– Preparation in one field can lead to success in another

• Musicians

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Used to deep analysis

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Used to identifying patterns

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Ability to concentrate

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Creative (right and left brain)

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Goal-oriented

• Musicians
– Detail-oriented
– Goal-oriented
– In need of a job

• Musicians
• Air-Traffic Controllers

• Musicians
• Actuaries

• Musicians
• Actuaries
• Teachers

• Musicians
• Actuaries
• Teachers
• Chess players

• Musicians
• Actuaries
• Teachers
• Chess players
• Professional wrestlers

• Other good sources for prospects

– “Fast Track”, or Management Development programs

• Short-term positions in many different organizations within the
company

company
• Fosters a big-picture perspective of the company and how
ITFM/TBM fits into the overall needs of the company

company
• Fosters a big-picture perspective of the company and how
ITFM/TBM fits into the overall needs of the company
• Develops a broad range of contacts within the company to facilitate
working with many levels of the organization

– People in Finance who have an interest in technology, maybe
as a hobby

as a hobby
– People in Technologies who LOVE Finance

as a hobby
– People in Technologies who LOVE Finance (ha, ha!)

Conclusion

Conclusion
• Just common sense concepts

Questions/Comments?
Follow up questions?
Mike Serber
mserber@thavronsolutions.com
mserber@hotmail.com
612.366.7663
http://thavron.com

How to find your Mr/s Wonderful- ITFM

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