MACworld and CES promise new gadgets that IT will need to manage

Implications: 1.  Cool technology now often arrives at corporations from outside of IT 2.  This creates an opportunity for IT professionals to bond with senior management.

Analysis: I remember when executives used to deliver magazine articles about new technology to the IT team after to traveling on airlines.  In today's world, executives show up at the IT helpdesk wanting to integrate the lastest technology gadget into your IT environment.  As a reminder to all of the IT folks out there, be prepared for the new gadgets that will spring forth at MACworld and CES.  I recommend that you pay attention to the announcements and think about which ones will fit with your infrastructure.  You will thank me for thinking about a proactive stance.

But just don't think of the new gadgets like a techie.  Use this opportunity as a way to understand what your companies business strategy will be.  When that executive shows up with the new gadget you should do two things.  First, be informed so that you come off as a person who is current in their field.  But more importantly, see if you can leverage this conversation into learning about the business.  Ask how the executive thought this gadget could help his business.  How would he/she be more productive or how could this tool solve a business problem?

By asking questions that will tell you about the executives business, you gain an opportunity to learn what issues that executive is struggling with and how they see technology helping.  By showing interest in understanding the executives problem, you can further your relationship into a partnership.  You can become a person to be sought out when problems need solved.

The new gadget gives an executive a change to bridge the gap between business and technology.  The opportunity for the CIO is to meet the executive halfway across the bridge and try to understand the executives business problems.  In this way, you are both building a bridge that can link your two organizations together.

My last reminder is to resist the temptation to write off the executive (or worse make fun of them publicly) as playing with toys instead of doing their job.  If you do you may leave the executive with an impression that they know more about technology or even worse that you are someone who will not help them.

I miss those articles because with the articles you had time to prepare.  Today, the time from the announcement of the product to the product being on your network is dropping quickly.