Ok, I admit it - I'm generally not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. I believe that folks should always be looking for ways to make positive changes, and shouldn't need a specific day/event as a trigger. That said, it does make a nice marker date for an annual evaluation of the state of things.
Last year, I posted an end-of-year IT checklist, which I again encourage all IT folks to take a quick look at -- this is a great time to evaluate and update a number of key IT areas. At the very least, don't forget to update your copyright dates!
I'm hoping 2010 can be a year of positive change for IT. In that light, as a community let's make a few resolutions:
1) Commit to consistent application of change management, not as a weapon but as the oil that allows the IT engine to run faster. Too many IT groups apply change management as a way to slow things down... that's counterproductive, in lots of ways. Let's make 2010 the year of productive change management.
2) Commit to a coordinated Annual Preventative Maintenance day. Applied Trust is naming July 13, 2010 as IT Preventative Maintenance day. Please join us -- start planning now to make this the day you perform tasks such as:
- UPS battery replacement
- Standby generator oil change / load testing / PM
- Air conditioning filter change / PM
- Cabling clean-up and labeling
- Patch application
- System power-down/power-up
- Monitoring and sensor testing
- Workstation patch compliance and AV verification
- First-aid kit replenishment
Drop us a line if you're planning on celebrating IT Preventative Maintenance Day on July 13, 2010 at your organization and we'll send you free IT Preventative Maintenance Day T-Shirt (let us know your size). Let's band together to underscore the importance of preventative maintenance. We can only hope that someday it will be a Hallmark holiday.
3) For a third and final resolution, I propose we take time in 2010 to take a serious look at the security and stability of our IT infrastructure and fix the things that keep us awake at night. In 2009, many organizations deferred assessments or upgrades, and eventually that's going to bite us all in the butt. Take time today to make a list of security or infrastructure elements that need to be assessed and possibly upgraded in the coming year. Be aware that there are a number of new regulations/standards that go into effect this year -- especially in healthcare.
Happy New Year!