2011 IT Tech and Strategy Trends

It's the time of year when everyone starts releasing their "top 10" lists. Most of these lists are very technology or tool centric and can be more visionary than practical. Few organizations face all of the items on such lists, and many items don't remain relevant for more than a couple of years-then they're either subsumed into the larger IT portfolio or they disappear into the annals of IT history as "technology that never was." Very few lists address the softer skills and issues facing CIOs, who are tasked with solving broader enterprise challenges and building persistent IT organizations. These items should include skills that span beyond IT and improve both the execution and integration of IT across the entire enterprise constituent pool (including IT staff, business partners, customers, and external stakeholders). Here, I present two separate lists for your consideration-one on tech trends and the other on strategic capabilities. I've ordered them based on my perception of the "average" enterprise, and Iinclude items that should apply to most organizations.