I just finished a book that I would consider a must-read for anyone that works in the IT field. “A Sysadmin’s Guide to Navigating the Business World” by Mark Burgess and Carolyn Rowland. It’s #23 in the USENIX ‘Short Topics in System Administration‘ series (not yet listed at the time of this writing).
It’s a short book (64 pgs) which is good since I’m a slow reader and have a hard time finding time for print books but I’m glad I made the effort as it couldn’t have come at a better time. One of the primary points of the book is to get your IT shop out of the “rocket” mentality (major effort, one shot) and instead work more like a “747” (reliable, reusable). One of the best ways to do that is to learn more about the business and work to have IT be part of the business rather than just serving it.
Chapters:
- The Problem
- The Elements of Business
- The Science of Value
- The Key to Communication
- Building a Trusted Partnership
- Some Hints and Tips
- Conclusion
While it’s short, it’s meaty. I’ll be passing it on to others in the group as we all can learn something from it. For me, I’ll likely get my own copy as I’ll be best served by reading it regularly (at least once-a-year).