For shits and giggles, I let Buzzsprout's GAI do the description for us this week. :-)

Discover the charm of IT land's peculiarities and the sharp wit of tech leadership as we embark on this episode's engaging narrative. We'll unravel the intricacies of integrating private large language models into enterprise ecosystems, and while grasping the strategic elements vital for business agility, we're also going to share a laugh over our quirky experiences, including tales from Waltham and the million-follower feline Sockington. Pull up a chair with us at the Painted Burro in Somerville Mass, and let's indulge in both the humorous and the profound dimensions of IT.

Strap in for an in-depth exploration of the dynamic AI platform landscape and its impact on your strategic business maneuvers. We'll dissect the importance of adaptability within the IT sphere, ensuring that you're not just keeping up but staying ahead of the curve. And when things get too serious, we lighten the mood with a twist, pondering over life's trivial annoyances and the odd chance of a zombie apocalypse disrupting our well-laid plans—because who says strategy can't be fun?

Wrapping up, we delve into the core of what makes a strong IT strategy: a blend of robust planning, flexibility, and the occasional spontaneous live streaming security hiccup. You'll walk away with a fresh perspective on balancing rigidity with the necessity to pivot, and an understanding of how to craft a 'Plan on a Page' that aligns with your company's trajectory. Join us for this insightful yet amusing journey through the maze of strategic planning, spiced up with the latest AI buzz and a side of light banter.

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The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
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Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In Episode 22, Mike and Nate continue the walkthrough of Year 2 for a new IT Leader resuming their discussion on budgeting and forecasting. In this episode, we focus on the remaining four major impacts: IT Organization, Facility Planning, Exploratory Projects, and Training. We return to some other topics in the news, including the newest Tekakord, and debut our new theme song. Next week, we will be streaming live on Twitch, so tune in to thecoit.us for more information!

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
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Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In Episode 21, Mike and Nate take a wack at unstructured data becoming natively structured, some recent AI shenaniganery and, most importantly, begin the walkthrough of Year 2 for a new IT Leader. The walkthrough starts with a revisit of budgeting and reforecasting and the emphasis is on three major impacts: Platforms, Milestones, and Capex vs Opex. Mike is off to NOLA on a special assignment so we look forward to his on the spot reporting next week.

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In episode 20, our fearless podcast hosts went on the road and managed to finagle their way into the BioIT World conference in Boston. We recorded this live from the Kestra bar at the Omni hotel and had several friends come by on camera (or off) to give us their insights into the technology road ahead. Plus, it has the usual shenanigans and discussions over various topics. We hope you enjoy it!! Next week, it's back to the barn, and we will start to focus on what happens after your first year as an IT Leader.

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In Episode 19, Mike and Nate wrap up the new IT Leader's first year. It's been an awesome journey so far and we have dissected the first year into all of its necessary parts. Reflecting on the first 18 podcasts, we started with the first 90 days in which we covered:

Building your Foundation
Writing a 90 Day Plan
Conducting your Key Stakeholder Interviews
Rolling up your results and presenting to the ET
Creating your organizational model
Managing your MSP
Writing your first Budget
Communicating to the Business
Creating a Security Stack
Developing a service and support model

Then we covered the rest of year 1 by discussing:
A revisit to budgeting with an emphasis on reforecasting and planning
Strategic planning
Governance
Employee Lifecycle Management
Working with your partner
Training and Education
and
Performance assessments

Wow. We hope you enjoyed Year 1 and next week we will be kicking off the discussion on Years 2 and 3.

We also had the usual banterous banter and spent a few moments considering just how freaking good barbecue sauce is.

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In Episode 18, Mike and Nate discuss Chapter 22 of the New IT Leader's Survival Guide. In this episode, we step off the EX train for a bit and focus on managing IT personnel performance. When it comes to retaining and developing IT talent, you have to be better than everyone else, and we explain why and how we do it. We also spend some time discussing who is ultimately responsible for upskilling workers in a company.

Plus, there is the usual banter and other stuff like Worldcoin and the destructive power of bored billionaires. We even snuck in some AI discussion.

Post-chapter 22 analysis/reflection questions:

1. Which components of the proposed performance assessment model seem most valuable, and which seem least effective?
2. What challenges do you foresee in implementing frequent feedback and reviews, and how could those challenges be addressed?
3. How well does your current performance review process measure an employee's performance throughout the year, and what improvements could be made?
4. What professional development and career growth goals would you suggest for an individual goal-planning process?
5. How might you adapt the proposed performance assessment model based on your company's culture or industry norms?
6. What metrics would you track to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new performance assessment process?
7. How can continuous coaching and feedback help employees improve, and what role should 360-degree feedback play?
8. What tips would you share for delivering feedback candidly yet tactfully?
9. How can transparency and clear expectations help reduce surprises during the review process?
10. Compare your current performance assessment process with the continuous feedback model and discuss the benefits or challenges of implementing it.
11. Reflect on how regular feedback loops could have altered past experiences with delayed feedback.
12. What obstacles might you anticipate in transitioning from annual reviews to a more frequent feedback process, and how can technology facilitate this transition?
13. What are the key characteristics of effective feedback, and how can managers be trained to deliver it?
14. How can organizations align their performance assessment processes with the evolving expectations of the workforce?
15. Discuss the potential impact of a well-structured performance assessment process on employee retention, satisfaction, and engagement.
16. What strategies can ensure that the performance assessment process is perceived as fair and objective?
17. Can you explain how regular feedback loops could improve employee engagement and motivation?

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

Are you taking advantage of new technologies to maintain compliance in your systems with effective risk assessment? Listen to the latest episode of our podcast, where I participated in a conversation with industry experts Aryaz Zomorodi, Quality Systems Assoc. Director from SpringWorks Therapeutics, and Brian Ennis, President & Co-Founder of Sware. We discussed how you can set up your enterprise to successfully harness next-gen GXP technologies.

Interested in learning more? Download this ebook from Sware, Rescue Your Organization from Validation Debt, to learn about adopting a unified validation workflow that reduces validation time, cost, and risk.

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us

In Episode 17, Mike and Nate discuss Chapter 18 of the IT Survival Guide. In this episode, we continue our journey into the employee experience by looking deeply into training and education for your company's staff. Training is key for many reasons, and the business often looks to IT to set the standard for the overall curriculum. Take a listen now!

Plus, there is the usual banter and other stuff. We even snuck in some AI discussion.

Post-chapter 18 analysis/reflection questions:

1. Before reading this chapter, what assumptions did you make about your colleagues' technology skills, and how might your perspective change?
2. What types of training would be most beneficial for your specific role or department, and what topics would you like to see covered?
3. How could measuring the outcomes of training programs help demonstrate their value? What metrics would you recommend tracking?
4. How could external online training resources like Coursera, Udemy, and Khan Academy be leveraged to supplement an internal training program?
5. What challenges do you foresee in getting employees engaged with training, and how could those challenges be addressed?
6. How would you balance mandatory training with more optional topics to cater to different learning needs and schedules?
7. How do current training practices within your organization align with the strategies suggested in this chapter, and where do gaps exist?
8. Reflect on when inadequate training on a new technology impacted your work. What lessons were learned, and how could training have mitigated those challenges?
9. Considering some adults' resistance to training, what innovative approaches could increase engagement in tech training?
10. How can you measure the effectiveness of training programs? What feedback mechanisms are currently in place, and how could they be improved?
11. Discuss the role of gamification in corporate training. Have you experienced gamified training, and what impact did it have?
12. How can organizations ensure that training materials and sessions remain relevant and up-to-date with technological changes?
13. Reflect on the statement: "The shortest route to technological debt is bypassing training." How has your experience supported or contradicted this?
14. Considering diverse technological proficiency levels, how can training programs be tailored to meet individual needs while ensuring comprehensive understanding?
15. What are some best practices for creating a centralized educational model for training programs?

Support the Show.

The Calculus of IT website - https://www.thecoit.us
"The New IT Leader's Survival Guide" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
"The Calculus of IT" Book - https://www.longwalk.consulting/library
The COIT Merchandise Store - https://thecoit.myspreadshop.com
Buy us a Beer!! - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thecalculusofit
Youtube - @thecalculusofit
TikTok - @thecalculusofit
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecalculusofit/
Discord - https://discord.com/invite/A5grWHyH
Email - nate@thecoit.us
Email - mike@thecoit.us