IT Leadership Growth Series

Worried that cross-training might make your role less secure?

 This episode explains why sharing knowledge with a colleague can actually strengthen your career, increase your value to your manager, and open the door to new projects, promotions, and professional growth.

 You’ll hear why cross-training protects critical business applications, reduces single points of failure, and helps IT professionals build broader skills while supporting the team more effectively.

In this practical career-focused episode, Eric Bloom explains how a business analyst can prepare for a future role in an IT Project Management Office.

Listeners will learn why PMOs matter, how to research their organization’s project management methods, which methodologies and tools to understand, and how to build visibility by working on cross-department initiatives with PMO team members. This episode is ideal for IT professionals who want to move into project management and position themselves for long-term career growth.

In the last two posts on this topic, I introduced the concept of dealing with difficult employees by first classifying their specific difficulty and then taking specific action based on their classification. The seven types were named Unethical, Sullen, Lethargic, Know-It-All, Always-Late, Underperforming and Troubled.

The best professional networks aren't built when you need a job. They're built years before you need anything.

This episode explores the power of long-term networking and why IT professionals should consistently maintain relationships with colleagues, former coworkers, managers, mentors, business contacts, and technology professionals.

Long-term relationships can create opportunities for career growth, knowledge sharing, mentoring, referrals, collaboration, and professional development.

Related episodes: Professional Connections; Technical Thought Leadership; Thinking Like a CIO.

Managing difficult employees is one of the most challenging responsibilities of an IT Manager.

In Part 2 of this three-part series, we continue examining different types of difficult employees and practical approaches managers can use to address challenging behaviors.

Related episodes: Part 1; Building Trust; Employee Loyalty.