Three years, seven months, and nineteen days ago, my husband and I left our
long-time corporate jobs for a well-planned early retirement. I wanted to share my experience, keep my mind
engaged, and my fingers in the business world (part-time), so we founded
Haropulos Bailey Consulting. Along with
several interesting consulting assignments, we have been honored to provide
some free advice and coaching for friends whose careers are still in full
swing.
Each Monday morning for the past few years I have been
blogging; commenting on current events, ruminating on lessons learned from past
experience, and suggesting ideas for overcoming challenges faced in a corporate
environment. There is now a library of
140 original blog postings online, which I have been pleased to discover have
attracted thousands of readers worldwide.
The time has come to leave our business-focused alter egos by
the wayside and transition fully and gleefully into retired life. This will be my final posting on the
Haropulos Bailey Consulting blog. (Existing
postings will remain online.) Thank you
for your interest and frequent inspiration. We
would be grateful to hear from you if we have helped or inspired you in return.
I invite you to follow my other blog, chronicling retired
life: Runaway Boomer.
Time to move on. I
have an 11:30 tee time. Happy New Year and New Plans!
Showing posts with label haropulos bailey consulting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label haropulos bailey consulting. Show all posts
02 January 2012
20 June 2011
Why Non-IT-Centric Corporations Need IT MarCom
I spent the last five years of my career in Hospitality Technology in IT Marketing and Communications. Not long into that newly-created position, I discovered that an IT MarCom department was an unusual beast within a corporation whose primary business is not technology. This was made obvious to me when I spoke as part of a panel at a conference hosted by Forrester Research, where the concept was clearly foreign to many of the IT executives who attended.
How can an IT Marketing/Communications department benefit a non-IT corporation?
1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS: Large corporations often have large IT departments, with their own complex internal organizational structures. The team may be geographically dispersed. An internal communication strategy enhances employee engagement, promotes visibility and understanding of strategic goals, illustrates the beneficial impact of IT work on the core business, and improves team member loyalty and retention.
2. POSITIONING IT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Although technology is not the core business, it assuredly supports the strategic and operational efforts of the core business. If IT products and services are innovative and robust, they are providing a competitive advantage. IT MarCom is responsible for creating a compelling message to make that clear.
3. PACKAGING IT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR IMPLEMENTATION: IT software engineers design and develop technology solutions. They are not well-equipped to brand products, or to articulate benefits or market technology in a way that will encourage acceptance by the target audience. Expert assistance in this effort can make all the difference in the successful adoption of new technology.
4. EDUCATING CORPORATE EXECUTIVES: IT makes a big contribution to the success of the business, and needs organizational and financial support from the executives who control funding. The more they know about what IT has done, is doing, and can do for them, the less IT will be vilified as a necessary evil. IT should be welcomed into the inner sanctum of strategic planning.
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5. GATHERING ACCOLADES: An IT MarCom group can pursue recognition for technology products and services. Imagine winning a high rank in Computerworld’s “Best Places to Work in IT”, being among the top of the “InformationWeek 500”, achieving CXO Media’s “Enterprise Value Award”, or even bringing home a MarCom or Telly Award for your IT department. Along with a morale boost to IT, the entire corporation gains prestige and credibility with these awards.
How can an IT Marketing/Communications department benefit a non-IT corporation?
1. INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS: Large corporations often have large IT departments, with their own complex internal organizational structures. The team may be geographically dispersed. An internal communication strategy enhances employee engagement, promotes visibility and understanding of strategic goals, illustrates the beneficial impact of IT work on the core business, and improves team member loyalty and retention.
2. POSITIONING IT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: Although technology is not the core business, it assuredly supports the strategic and operational efforts of the core business. If IT products and services are innovative and robust, they are providing a competitive advantage. IT MarCom is responsible for creating a compelling message to make that clear.
3. PACKAGING IT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR IMPLEMENTATION: IT software engineers design and develop technology solutions. They are not well-equipped to brand products, or to articulate benefits or market technology in a way that will encourage acceptance by the target audience. Expert assistance in this effort can make all the difference in the successful adoption of new technology.
4. EDUCATING CORPORATE EXECUTIVES: IT makes a big contribution to the success of the business, and needs organizational and financial support from the executives who control funding. The more they know about what IT has done, is doing, and can do for them, the less IT will be vilified as a necessary evil. IT should be welcomed into the inner sanctum of strategic planning.
5. GATHERING ACCOLADES: An IT MarCom group can pursue recognition for technology products and services. Imagine winning a high rank in Computerworld’s “Best Places to Work in IT”, being among the top of the “InformationWeek 500”, achieving CXO Media’s “Enterprise Value Award”, or even bringing home a MarCom or Telly Award for your IT department. Along with a morale boost to IT, the entire corporation gains prestige and credibility with these awards.Large IT departments need their own MarCom group to give technology and IT team members the focused attention and the identity they need to be successful.
If your company needs IT MarCom assistance, Haropulos Bailey Consulting can help. Contact us via email at habaconsulting@comcast.net.
18 April 2011
Still Exploring
Today marks two years of weekly blog posts by Haropulos Bailey Consulting. We began this journey as a means to introduce business people to who we are and how we think. It’s also our mission to share some of the professional experience we have gained over almost 30 years in a corporate environment.
Our sincere thanks are offered to the readers we have attracted over the last two years, from all around the world. I should also thank Google and other search engine companies that send people our way. The feedback and statistics we collect help us hone our subject matter, based on your interest. We can only hope we have helped you or touched you in some way.
Future blog posts will continue along the same vein, until someday we run out of ideas (my recurring nightmare on Sunday nights). We are inspired by conversations with friends and former colleagues, current events, activity in social media, and memories of good and bad corporate experiences of days gone by. Suggestions for subjects are always gratefully welcomed, and we are still exploring hot topics that may be of interest to you.
Our sincere thanks are offered to the readers we have attracted over the last two years, from all around the world. I should also thank Google and other search engine companies that send people our way. The feedback and statistics we collect help us hone our subject matter, based on your interest. We can only hope we have helped you or touched you in some way.
Future blog posts will continue along the same vein, until someday we run out of ideas (my recurring nightmare on Sunday nights). We are inspired by conversations with friends and former colleagues, current events, activity in social media, and memories of good and bad corporate experiences of days gone by. Suggestions for subjects are always gratefully welcomed, and we are still exploring hot topics that may be of interest to you.Think of our Haropulos Bailey Consulting Blog as a little bit of free mentoring and consulting, offered in the spirit of “Creative Practical Collaboration”. You are invited to contact us by posting comments to the blog or by emailing us at habaconsulting@comcast.net.
Onward into Year 3!
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