The Suite Spot

The pandemic has forever altered the way organizations approach work and collaboration – even as a vaccine begins to be distributed and work returns to some form or normalcy, some organizations may choose to leave remote work as a tool in their arsenal or to craft new, hybrid work environments for their teams.So, with teams potentially more spread out for good, how can IT leaders better equip themselves to not only navigate the technical challenges that presents, but also to lead from a separated “silo?”On this episode of The Suite Spot, hosts Carlos Vargas, Howard Holton and Paul Lewis tackle that question, equipping listeners to navigate this new normal.“I think leading out of a silo is really important. And, regardless of whether we're talking about the COVID pandemic, which we're currently dealing with … [or about] seeing people in person, we still have those siloes that get kind of naturally formed,” Holton said. “One of the big failure points around transformation efforts, like digital transformation, end up being the siloes we've created being a little too hard.”The key – and also the biggest challenge – is breaking down siloes with more robust communication.“Intersilo” standup meetings, even if they're just 10 to 15 minutes, can help, although they necessitate focus on true issues and collaboration and on productive meetings that avoid burnout.Another key is using those meetings to establish lines of communication that move beyond these meetings, facilitating more natural communication and the breaking down of true roadblocks.

Marketing is a key function of any successful business, but it takes knowledge about a company's industry and target audience to get right. And because of the complexities of the technology sector, marketing to IT and OT companies comes with its own set of challenges.In this episode of The Suite Spot, hosts Carlos Vargas, Howard Holton and Paul Lewis take a look at the things a vendor can do to develop effective marketing messages for the CIO of a company.The number one tip? Understand the audience you're marketing to and what they do. Most vendors don't know what a CIO is or what their job includes, noted Holton. “A CIO is not the CFO… The CIO is also not the engineer.”Holton and Lewis also reinforced the importance of personalizing the marketing message to the CIO's needs and interests. “Engage me in a conversation about something I've already written,” said Lewis. Vargas also chimed in: “Try to engage you a little bit with what you've already done or what your company has already done, instead of straight selling.”But what's the best way to find out what a prospect is interested in? “LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn,” repeated Holton. “If you're marketing to CIOs, you need to immerse yourself in the CIO community a little bit. Who do they look to for thought leaders? Do you follow any of them?”He continued, “If you can't make a 30 second investment, you don't deserve to talk to someone with ‘Chief' in their title. You're asking time from someone who's at the top of the heap, you should be at least courteous enough to make it worth their while.”Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

To say 2020 has been a year of change is a monumental understatement. Everything from the way we socialize, to how we receive health care, to how we work, has changed massively. The hosts of The Suite Spot — Carlos Vargas, Howard Holton, Paul Lewis — spoke with Michael Davidson, Senior Data Scientist, Microsoft about some of the changes that businesses had no choice but to make. Davidson feels that these challenges provided learning opportunities for businesses. He presented companies shifting to remote work as an example, “The hardest gap to overcome is the one you mentioned and that's accepting that it's even possible. And once you've done it a few times, it doesn't become rote. I mean every project has its own challenges, but just the belief that you can do it, I think is probably the biggest hurdle for most leadership teams to overcome,” Davidson said.

Now that the dust is beginning to settle and more and more employees, alongside their managers, are adjusting to working from home. According to Paul Lewis, co-host, The Suite Spot, a new narrative is spinning around those of us who work from home. “So the one thing I hear most often is — especially with Zoom meetings — you're inviting us into your house and therefore you get to set the rules, right?” What does that mean exactly? Lewis went on to explain that there is less and less of a “normal” workday now. Hours of availability are shifting, workers are balancing childcare and education needs during the work day, and the typical office dress code is out the window.

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!

Make Sure to Subscribe to The Suite Spot to Stay Up to Date!