Impact of Economy

The presentation will review how the economy got in its current condition and discuss the near-term outlook for recovery.  Special attention will be given to the state and local economy and their relationship to the national economy.

Strategic Planning

Aligning IT and Corporate Strategy – A View from the Trenches

In theory, business strategy should drive a portfolio of IT projects prioritized according to business drivers and aligned with the businesses' risk tolerance. In reality, different business lines have different priorities and risk tolerance. IT also has its own portfolio of projects necessary to maintain operation levels. How does an IT organization balance competing agendas while ensuring maximum value is delivered to each business line and the company as a whole? Having a clearly defined strategy of its own is the first step. Strategic Planning

Work Life Balance

Many of us don’t’ know how to release that inner spark and what is worse is that many of us don’t even know it is there. If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t trying anything new. If you aren’t trying anything new, you are not growing. If you are not growing, you aren’t going anywhere. Each day is precious. This program will teach us how to gain that spark in our life and to understand that we are all unique and have our own mission and purpose.

Project Management

Business continually looks for ways to reinvent themselves as competition continues to increase. The speed of business continues to accelerate and  Information Technology (IT) as a strategic partner must support the speed of the marketplace.  IT projects continue to increase in complexity as work is performed globally, solutions are implemented that impact the entire enterprise, and businesses continually look for ways to transform themselves. Numerous studies show that there are more failed or canceled IT projects than successful ones.  This session covers critical project success factors that can be implemented from the start, greatly increasing the chance for successful project execution and delivery.

Personality of Business

Research shows that an effective mentoring program hinges on whether mentors and mentees share a close, trusting relationship. Developing this kind of relationship does not come naturally to everyone, but it is something that can be learned given the right tools, ongoing support and encouragement.

Looking at it from the perspective of an entire organization or simply the individual, this session will focus on:

• How to be an effective mentor;
• What is the difference between mentoring, counseling and supervising;
• Defining roles, responsibilities and expectations of a mentor and mentee;
• Tips and tools to be effective as a mentor;
• Why a mentorship program is important; and
• How a successful mentorship program can be a “difference-maker” for a successful organization.

Increasing Diversity