The Turn

“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called “The Pledge”. The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But ofRead… Read more »

It all starts with the operating model

It all starts with the operating model, at least that is my belief. Since reading Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill and David Robertson I have really focused on understanding one of the foundational statements early in the text regarding the role of the operatingRead… Read more »

How federal agencies save money by running IT like a business

The Federal CIO’s 25-Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal IT Management mandated that federal agencies complete progress reports and plans for data center consolidation. As a result, fiscal year 2011 brought the closure of more than 81 data centers, with more than 900 scheduled to shutter by FY2015, for a cost savings of nearly $5Read… Read more »

Operating Models: Understanding Complex Organizations

Standardization and Integration of Operating Models The idea of an “organizational operating model” is the central concept discussed by Dr. Jeanne Ross, Peter Weill, and David C. Robertson in their seminal work,Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution. They contend that for companies to succeed, they must understand their operating model: inRead… Read more »

Joy’s Law

(Bill) Joy’s Law, “No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else.” What if overcoming Joy’s Law is the new baseline for succeeding? Chris Anderson’s Makers showcases how Joy’s Law has already changed the front end of our economy. If you’ve convinced yourself you’re not affected, God bless. My experienceRead… Read more »

Federal Performance Framework: Look Back to Look Forward

Earlier this month, a forum co-hosted by the National Academy of Public Administration and the IBM Center for The Business of Government reflected on the evolution of a results-oriented federal performance management system over the past two decades and how it will evolve over the next few years. The forum participants comprised a range ofRead… Read more »

What is Enterprise Intelligence?

Enterprise Intelligence is a key structure for supporting successful transformation efforts In my post “Enterprise Architecture and the Road to Enterprise Intelligence,” I talk about an approach to enterprise architecture that results in Enterprise Intelligence. Wikipedia’s definition of Enterprise Architecture as “the process of translating business vision and strategy into effective enterprise change by creating,Read… Read more »

Kurzweil Makes a Strategic Move: Could this be the technology story of the decade?

By BobGourley Every technologist knows of Ray Kurzweil. He is like a modern day Galileo- playing a major thought leadership role in the technology revolution (Ray’s wikipedia entry does a pretty good job summarizing his background). Google recently announced that Kurzweil will be joining them as a director of engineering. Details were provided on Kurzweil’sRead… Read more »

The 4P Principles

The 4P Principles I will continue to embrace– Personal, from me to you for 2013—Peace, Prosperity, Pride, and Persistence! Religion–Preparation, Process, People and Patience Business and Marketing– Products, Price, Place, and Promotion! HAPPY HOLIDAYS SEASON and A PROSPEROUS 2013!

Play 8: Work Only on What is Important

For executives that haven’t been naughty I love to read. I’ve skipped school to finish Shogun, read the covers off of The Belgariad, and waited in line for Harry Potter. These days with a wife, three kids and a busy schedule I often find books stacking up on my nightstand, my office, and in theRead… Read more »