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GIS Manager/Leadership Resources

Adam Carnow

A common request I get from people in the GIS industry that are current, or future, managers/leaders is: where can I go to find some resources to help me with the business/culture/people/management side of GIS? I have found no single place that contains the most useful information I know of, so I thought I would share a list of resources I have collected over the years, in no particular order. Please feel free to join the discussion and add your own resources to share.

Follow, and participate in, the Implementing ArcGIS community on GeoNet. Implementing ArcGIS is a public community group to gain tips and advice on implementation best practices, discuss challenging topics, learn from the innovative minds of GIS professionals, share your experiences and stay connected. It covers six categories:
- Strategy & Planning
- Architecture & Security
- Geodata Engineering
- Configuration & Integration
- Workforce Development
- Operational Support
One of the most important documents Esri has produced is Architecting the ArcGIS Platform: Best Practices - this document is updated at least once a year, so be sure to keep up with the latest version. Reach out to your Esri Account Team for additional guidance on how to implement these.
Every organization that uses GIS needs a Geospatial Strategy in order to maximize the impact the technology can have on the organization. Check out this Introduction to Geospatial Strategy presentation from the 2019 Esri International User Conference, to learn more on the best practices Esri has learned from our work with customers across the globe over the years. Reach out to your Esri Account Team if you'd like to learn more about this.
Consider some assistance with Change Management, it is "people-focused planning that drives technology adoption."
Join, and participate in, the Managers in GIS group on LinkedIn.
The GIS Success program provides a lot of great content. It is "a blog where together, we’ll leverage Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Strategies, Technologies, and Techniques to stimulate opportunities to advance GIS in the local government." It includes webcasts, training and free guides.
URISA runs a GIS Leadership Academy (GLA) that provides "five days of targeted GIS leadership training taught by GIS leaders."
Here are eight videos from the GIS Manager Track from the 2018 Esri International User Conference covering:
- Enterprise GIS: Strategic Planning for Success
- Communicating the Value of GIS
- Architecting the ArcGIS Platform: Best Practices
- Increase Adoption by Integrating Change Management
- Governance for GIS
- Moving Beyond Anecdotal GIS Success: An ROI Conversation
- Workforce Development Planning: A People Strategy for Organizations
- Supporting Government Transformation and Innovation
This is a great article: GIS should be about digital transformation
This is an excellent report from Esri Canada, Winning with Location Intelligence: The Essential Practices.
Read the articles from these people, and follow them on social media:
- Matt Lewin from Esri Canada
- Nathan Heazlewood from Eagle Technology
- Paul Synnott from Esri Ireland
GIS maturity models can be helpful with identifying ways to improve. Here are three to investigate:
- URISA's GIS Management Institute (GMI) has several resources.
- Slimgim will help you measure and manage your enterprise GIS performance.
- Oakland Co., MI has a Grow Your GIS, program that includes their GeoVision Assessment and GIS Expansion Starter Kit.
Keep your eyes open for:
- A GIS Manager/Leadership Workshop near you,
- GIS Manager/Leadership sessions at GIS events,
- And if you're headed to the Esri International User Conference, consider attending the GIS Managers' Open Summit (GISMOS).
My own resources include:
- Gain inspiration from your peers, with the examples I have collected in this StoryMap.
- These thirteen articles I wrote for GovLoop.
- Here's a recent webinar, The Underutilization of GIS and How To Cure It.
- I am active on LinkedIn, Twitter and GeoNet.

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Strategy & Planning

Comments

Adam Carnow

Here's a great short video on starting a Geospatial Strategy: The Esri Method: Where Do You Start? - YouTube

marvin.davis

I know Daniel Peters had polled LinkedIn recently about a type of regular podcast or discussion that touched on some of the management issues that many look for assistance on. I like panel/roundtable discussions/webinars/recordings like you have hosted or participated in the past. I would be very interested in helping/participating in those kinds of discussions, since I have less experience with managing a "GIS team" and more experience with managing a GIS while working with a team who aren't highly experienced with, or focused on GIS.

Given my new position is involving building up Enterprise, I will be viewing the Implementation community quite a bit the next few months.

MaryamMafuri_4-1765828735358.png

Adam Carnow

Another good video: Building Leading Businesses on the Geospatial Cloud from the 2019 Esri Business Leadership Forum

Building Leading Businesses on the Geospatial Cloud - YouTube

Adam Carnow

Here is the first document from Esri on creating a Geospatial Strategy Esri: GIS Mapping Software, Spatial Data Analytics & Location Intelligence

Adam Carnow

Many people may run into resistance from executives on why a geospatial strategy is needed. Luckily, Matt Lewin, from Esri Canada, wrote this great article on how to address that. Check it out:

Why organizations need a geospatial strategy: An executive perspective

Adam Carnow

Great article showing survey results around data and analytics as forces of change - note that "the creation of a strategy now ranks as the number one challenge to, and reason for, companies' success at data and analytics."

How leaders in data and analytics have pulled ahead | McKinsey

Adam Carnow

For some additional context on the resources in this post, please see this article on LinkedIn: Every Day Should Be GIS Day

MeleKoneya

This is great @AdamCarnow

I am looking to become the manager of our GIS program once retirements occurs and these resources are amazing.

Is there a track of UC sessions you'd recommend this year like those in 2018?

Thank you,

Mele

VanessaPocock

@MeleKoneya1

I second your post regarding the Manager's track during the main UC. I hope Esri provides a recommended list of seminars, etc. again this year.

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