I have several clients who are large AS/400, iSeries, System i users, and most of them are wrestling with how to leverage investments in their IBM midrange solutions as they look to support their businesses for the long term. These clients love the investment protection and low cost of ownership their legacy tools offer, but they bemoan the inflexibility in supporting growing business requirements to extend applications to the web, expose applications to web services, and integrate applications with the ubiquitous CRM, BI/DW, and workflow applications. No, this is not "yet another" column on the debate about application modernization. Instead, this column discusses the morphing needed by the average IT shop in order to remain relevant today.

Last summer, I read a powerful and challenging book by Lawrence Gonzales with the thought-provoking title of Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. Mr. Gonzales is a journalist by training who has spent the past 15 years researching stories of survival related to outdoor situations: shipwrecks, climbing accidents, plane crashes, and so forth. His insights as to who lives and who dies and why have little to do with training, experience, or knowledge. Instead, they have to do with what's in your heart. One of his assertions is this: Children are survivors in desperate situations in disproportionate numbers. Why? Because children don't know that they aren't supposed to survive. They just go about the business of surviving because they believe they can in their hearts. They have a strongly developed will to live. Almost paradoxically, many so-called experts die quickly (within the first 48 hours) because they don't have the heart needed to make it. They simply give up — far in advance of their physical need for food, water, or even shelter to keep their bodies alive.

According to Mr. Gonzales, the key to surviving when the odds are against you and the situation appears to be desperate is to quickly take on the survivor's mentality. After reading his book, I came to the conclusion that IT as we know it (and the System i market in particular) has many characteristics of an outdoor tragedy. We have too many people thinking that the trip will be easy, who don't expect the weather to change, and then find themselves wandering in the wilderness — still trying to fit their "old reality" into the "new reality." "I'm sure that's the path; let's follow it." "I know it's dark, but if we can just keep going over the next hill, I'm sure the cabin is there." "I don't need to stay put — they'll never find me. I need to set out and find help."

IT's a Desperate Situation

Now, while serving our businesses with appropriate IT solutions is rarely a life or death situation, I see many desperate situations indeed. As I spend time with IBM midrange-based clients looking at the new realities of business (maintaining a low overall cost structure and providing excellent integration with supply-chain needs, strong security, comprehensive compliance with regulatory requirements, far more powerful decision support tools), I find many "experts" who are trying to fit their old reality of IT infrastructures, tools, languages, processes, and so forth, into the new realities of today. As such, it's like they've moved to Egypt because they're living on "De-Nile." After all, serving new requirements with old thinking is very difficult. The requirements aren't going to change, so what needs to change?

A few of Mr. Gonzales' keys to survival are highly relevant to surviving as an IT professional these days. To his advice I've added some of my own.

1. Perceive and believe. Don't fall into the deadly trap of denial or immobilizing fear. Admit it: You're in deep trouble, and you must get yourself out. I urge System i pros to heed Mr. Gonzales' advice and move out of Egypt, now. Realize things must change, and you have to be accountable for making things different. If you don't change things, an outsourcer will.



2. Think, analyze, plan. Survivors quickly organize, set up routines, and exert discipline. Surviving requires effort, clear thinking, and a plan. It should be obvious, but I'd like to emphasize that "I'll just make it through this year and hope I keep my job" is not an effective plan. Make it your job to help your IT organization survive.



3. Believe you will succeed. It's at this point, following what the book calls "the vision," that the survivor's will to live becomes firmly fixed. Some liken this feeling to runner's euphoria — the almost irrational sense of calm and well-being that comes during a significant test of physical endurance. I'd clarify that you must believe you will succeed, not think or hope, but believe.

4. Do whatever it takes. Survivors are not easily discouraged by setbacks. They accept that the environment is constantly changing, and they know they must adapt. My question to you is: Are you adapting to your new reality, or are you still trying to fit the "old ways" into the "new requirements"?

I must say, I do see some bright spots related to surviving as IT professionals at many of my clients. Where? In the chronologically younger staff members and those who are young at heart. Remaining relevant in the world of IT today requires us to see things as they really are, not as we would like them to be. We also need specific plans, clear thinking, and discipline. Here's where those of us who are "age enhanced" add some big value — if we follow the "seeing clearly" requirement. Believe in your ability to succeed and envision your business truly being supported through the IT solutions we offer. Kids seem to be more optimistic, so believe like a child, think like an adult. Finally, do whatever it takes — not just take the easy or the convenient course. Make a real commitment to see all the tough decisions, the hard work, and the challenging processes through. The career you save just might be your own.

Robert Tipton is managing partner of R S Tipton, Inc., and a long-time contributor to System iNEWS. His book, Untangling IT: 25 Year of Lessons in Effective IT Leadership (available at the System iNetwork Bookstore — www.pentontech.com/education), and R S Tipton’s workshops and consulting services, focus directly on the process of creating higher levels of effectiveness through innovation, inspiration, and common sense. He can be reached at rtipton@systeminetwork.com or www.rstipton.com.