Lessons in IT Transformation: Technology Expert to Business Leader

Meaningful Metrics

IT leaders, more than any other functional group I know of, are extremely focused on metrics. There is an old adage that states you can't manage what you can't measure. I am a believer in metrics as well. However, my version of metrics is somewhat different from what most technology executives focus on.

If you speak to most IT executives about metrics, you will hear a lot about “nines.” While three sixes is the language of Lucifer, five nines seems to be the language of IT. There is a lot of talk about systems availability and network availability and reports that show we are at 99.97 percent of something or other. Now don't get me wrong: Availability of critical services and systems is absolutely imperative. However if you start talking to your CEO about these metrics, he might go into a semiconscious state of being.

Business leaders and executives care about metrics as well. But their metrics focus on issues such as revenue creation, cost avoidance, project ROI, opportunity costs, and so on. See the difference? Once again, it is our responsibility to speak a language that resonates with our audience. That language is the language of business and finance.