Every growing company reaches a tipping point with its IT department.
In the early days, you hired an IT Manager to keep the lights on. You measured their success by uptime, ticket resolution speed, and how quickly they set up new laptops. They were an Order Taker:
- “We need 10 new licenses.” -> “Done.”
- “The WiFi is slow.” -> “Fixed.”
- “We need a new server.” -> “Ordered.”
But as you scale, this reactive model becomes a bottleneck. You stop needing a “fixer” and start needing a “leader.” You need someone who can sit in a budget meeting and explain ROI, not just CPU usage. You need a Strategic Partner.
The problem? Your IT Manager has likely never been trained to think this way. They are stuck in the “Order Taker” mindset because that is what you have always rewarded.
If you want a strategic partner, you have to build one.
Here is the coaching framework to elevate your IT Manager from the server room to the boardroom.
The 3 Shifts: Defining the New Role
To transform your IT Manager, you must explicitly redefine success. Move the goalposts from Activity to Outcome.
Shift 1: From “How?” to “Why?”
- The Order Taker: Focuses on how to implement a request (e.g., “How do we migrate to Office 365?”).
- The Strategic Partner: Asks why we are doing it (e.g., “Will this improve collaboration enough to justify the switching cost?”).
- The Coaching Question: Next time they bring you a project plan, ask: “What is the business problem this solves, and how will we measure success?”
Shift 2: From “Cost” to “Value”
- The Order Taker: Views the budget as a constraint. Tries to find the cheapest laptop or the lowest license tier.
- The Strategic Partner: Views the budget as an investment portfolio. They advocate for spending more if it drives efficiency or revenue.
- The Coaching Question: “If we doubled the budget for this project, what additional value would we get? Is it worth it?”
Shift 3: From “No” to “Yes, If…”
- The Order Taker: Protects the network by saying “No” to risky or complex ideas from Sales/Marketing. They are the “Department of No.”
- The Strategic Partner: Enables the business by saying “Yes, if we add these security controls…” or “Yes, but here are the trade-offs.”
- The Coaching Question: “Don’t tell me why we can’t do it. Tell me what it would take to make it safe and feasible.”
The Mentorship Plan: A 90-Day Sprint
You can’t expect a mindset shift overnight. Treat this as a 90-day talent development project.
Month 1: The “Business Fluency” Immersion
Your IT Manager likely speaks fluent “Tech,” but broken “Business.”
- Action: Invite them to one operational meeting outside of IT (e.g., a Sales Pipeline review or a Finance monthly close).
- The Goal: Let them hear the problems other departments face in their own language. They need to see that “slow CRM” isn’t a ticket; it’s missed revenue.
Month 2: The “Proactive Proposal”
Stop giving them orders. Ask for ideas.
- Action: Assign them a specific business problem (e.g., “Onboarding new employees takes too long”). Ask them to come back in 2 weeks with a solution that includes budget, timeline, and business impact.
- The Goal: Force them to practice Product Management thinking—defining the problem and pitching the solution.
Month 3: The “Board-Ready” Presentation
Communication is the final hurdle. Tech leaders often get lost in the weeds.
- Action: Have them present a quarterly update to you (and perhaps one other executive).
- The Rule: No technical jargon allowed. No “uptime” stats. They must report on business outcomes: risks reduced, productivity gained, or money saved.
When to Bring in Reinforcements
Sometimes, the gap is too wide to bridge alone. Your IT Manager may have the potential, but you lack the time or technical background to mentor them effectively.
This is where a Fractional CIO (vCIO) becomes a force multiplier.
We don’t replace your IT Manager; we mentor them.
We act as the “Senior Partner” to their “Associate.” We review their budgets, challenge their assumptions, and coach them on executive communication. We provide the “master class” in IT leadership while they run the day-to-day.
This IT Talent Development model allows you to retain your loyal, improved staff while getting the strategic output of a C-suite leader.
Stop settling for order takers. Contact Authentic Bridge to discuss how we can coach your IT leadership team to the next level.