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 COLUMN
A memorable mentor IN INDUSTRIES where technology functions as a key enabler of a business (as opposed to industries where technology is the actual business, such as software), members of a senior management team often do not understand exactly what the CTO does beyond keeping the IT systems running. This is not always a bad thing: The best technology organizations run with an enviable seamlessness and lack of disruption. Sometimes the less you hear from your IT staff, the better, because it means things are working as they should.
So who does a CTO turn to for advice on strategic career, technical, and management issues? A mentor, of course. One mentor taught me some key skills early on that have really helped me along in my career: Dan Woods, now CTO of Capital Thinking. I worked for Dan in my first real technical job at the News & Observer, a newspaper in North Carolina, and at the time I had no idea what I wanted to do careerwise. Dan helped get me on track and taught me a few things that I try to pass along to people who now look to me for guidance, including the following. Just do it. When I first starting working for Dan, he needed someone to write a Tcl/Tk front end for the paper's research staff to enter and query state political campaign contribution data. I knew absolutely nothing about Tcl/Tk, but Dan gave me a book, a clear mission, and the time to solve the problem. He left me alone to work on it, but was always available for questions. In the end, I finished the application, and to this day still appreciate the challenge he gave me. Learn as much about the business as the technology. Dan was engaged in the newspaper business as much as the journalists for whom he was providing tools to do their jobs. In fact, Dan was an award-winning reporter himself with a master's degree in journalism and regular bylines to his credit. As do all good proteges, I emulate my mentor in this regard. Writing this column, in addition to my more typical technology and business duties, gives me an insider's view into InfoWorld's key business: producing content. Focus on solving real problems. At that early stage in my career working for Dan, I learned about the seamless integration of business needs with technology applications. Dan worked closely with staffers spanning all departments within the company and consistently provided powerful technology for journalists, pioneering what was then known as "computer-assisted reporting." Back then, Dan knew that technology and business go hand-in-hand and fortunately for me, that fact became ingrained in my thinking. It seems only appropriate with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching to close with a simple message: Thanks, Dan. How have mentors made a difference in your life and career? Write to chad_dickerson@infoworld.com. Chad Dickerson is CTO of InfoWorld.  RELATED SUBJECTS  Professional DevelopmentMORE > SPONSORED WHITE PAPERS 
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