DevOps.com

  • Latest
    • Articles
    • Features
    • Most Read
    • News
    • News Releases
  • Topics
    • AI
    • Continuous Delivery
    • Continuous Testing
    • Cloud
    • Culture
    • DataOps
    • DevSecOps
    • Enterprise DevOps
    • Leadership Suite
    • DevOps Practice
    • ROELBOB
    • DevOps Toolbox
    • IT as Code
  • Videos/Podcasts
    • Techstrong.tv Podcast
    • Techstrong.tv Video Podcast
    • Techstrong.tv - Twitch
    • DevOps Unbound
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming
    • On-Demand Webinars
  • Library
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • On-Demand Events
  • Sponsored Content
  • Related Sites
    • Techstrong Group
    • Container Journal
    • Security Boulevard
    • Techstrong Research
    • DevOps Chat
    • DevOps Dozen
    • DevOps TV
    • Techstrong TV
    • Techstrong.tv Podcast
    • Techstrong.tv Video Podcast
    • Techstrong.tv - Twitch
  • Media Kit
  • About
  • Sponsor
  • AI
  • Cloud
  • Continuous Delivery
  • Continuous Testing
  • DataOps
  • DevSecOps
  • DevOps Onramp
  • Platform Engineering
  • Low-Code/No-Code
  • IT as Code
  • More
    • Application Performance Management/Monitoring
    • Culture
    • Enterprise DevOps
    • ROELBOB
Hot Topics
  • Cisco Bets on OpenTelemetry to Advance Observability
  • 5 Technologies Powering Cloud Optimization
  • Platform Engineering: Creating a Paved Path to Reduce Developer Toil
  • Where Does Observability Stand Today, and Where is it Going Next?
  • Five Great DevOps Job Opportunities

Home » Blogs » Executive Buy-in May Be Preventing DevOps Success

Executive Buy-in May Be Preventing DevOps Success

Avatar photoBy: Pete Chestna on September 28, 2017 1 Comment

A common misconception in the executive suite is that an organization can reap all the benefits of DevOps without fully embracing the change necessary. That’s understandable, given that a DevOps transformation is a lengthy, costly disruption for companies of all sizes. DevOps requires businesses to transform, from team organization to culture to development processes. This shift often sparks reallocation of power and influence, which sometimes can make high-level executives uncomfortable. While most companies have begun to recognize the overall business benefits of DevOps, few are fully committing to such a large undertaking. As a result, a hesitant executive suite holds an organization back from realizing the full potential of DevOps.

Recent Posts By Pete Chestna
  • Securing Third-Party and Open Source Code Components: A Primer
  • DevSecOps: How Security Teams Can Better Support Their Developer Counterparts
  • How Developers Can Take a More Proactive Approach to Security
Avatar photo More from Pete Chestna
Related Posts
  • Executive Buy-in May Be Preventing DevOps Success
  • In DevOps, Business and Operations Metrics Both Matter
  • DevOps and the Case for ROI to Executives
    Related Categories
  • Blogs
  • DevSecOps
  • Leadership Suite
    Related Topics
  • business culture
  • cross-functional teams
  • devops
  • devops adoption
  • DevOps education
  • executives
  • security
Show more
Show less

The key to successful DevOps implementation has four facets. Executing against one element just isn’t enough—an organization must combine all of them to realize the benefits of DevOps:

TechStrong Con 2023Sponsorships Available
  • Training: Once executives have educated themselves on the importance of DevOps and accepted the disruption that comes with it, they must make sure the individuals are properly trained. Everyone involved needs to be open to learning new skills and new ways of functioning. A big part of DevOps is breaking down team silos, so individual contributors need to be willing to work across functional boundaries.
  • Tools: DevOps adoption can be viewed as a cultural and methodological change, and therefore teams also need the right tools that help them work together to create scalable and secure applications efficiently. The executive suite should invest in platforms that support automation and collaboration.
  • Support and determination: To provide support and guidance throughout the shift to DevOps, organizations should consider hiring a DevOps expert or bringing in a third-party consultant. This person can help the executive suite map out a DevOps strategy and help train the teams involved. Lack of expertise is one of the reasons businesses often fail to complete a DevOps transition.
  • Cross functional and accountable teams: A DevOps team should have all of the resources necessary to implement and deliver functionality to the customer. They should also be accountable for operating and supporting it.

Another important consideration is security. The CISO and security team are responsible for security in most organizations, but developers need to understand the critical role they play in creating secure applications. They need to be accountable for the security of the software they write. It’s up to the security team to train and nurture them until they are self-sufficient. The development organization as a whole must be willing to make security part of the annual goal-setting process and to report on progress transparently at each level of management.

Every DevOps implementation begins with education, from management to the individual contributor. Educational resources increasingly are available as DevOps continues to gain momentum in the industry. If faced with a hesitant executive suite, teams should leverage proof points from other companies that have successfully implemented DevOps. Leadership should be ready to measure, experiment, iterate and, most importantly, stick with it. When armed with the right training, tools and support, organizations can gain a competitive edge with DevOps.

— Pete Chestna

Filed Under: Blogs, DevSecOps, Leadership Suite Tagged With: business culture, cross-functional teams, devops, devops adoption, DevOps education, executives, security

« DevOps Chat: IBM z14, Built for DevOps from the Ground Up, with Hayden Lindsey
SlashData Report: Developers Influence Tool Selection »

Techstrong TV – Live

Click full-screen to enable volume control
Watch latest episodes and shows

Upcoming Webinars

Shipping Applications Faster With Kubernetes: Myth or Reality?
Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - 1:00 pm EST
Why Current Approaches To "Shift-Left" Are A DevOps Antipattern
Thursday, February 9, 2023 - 1:00 pm EST
Log Love: Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Forensics and Biz Analytics
Tuesday, February 14, 2023 - 11:00 am EST

Sponsored Content

The Google Cloud DevOps Awards: Apply Now!

January 10, 2023 | Brenna Washington

Codenotary Extends Dynamic SBOM Reach to Serverless Computing Platforms

December 9, 2022 | Mike Vizard

Why a Low-Code Platform Should Have Pro-Code Capabilities

March 24, 2021 | Andrew Manby

AWS Well-Architected Framework Elevates Agility

December 17, 2020 | JT Giri

Practical Approaches to Long-Term Cloud-Native Security

December 5, 2019 | Chris Tozzi

Latest from DevOps.com

Cisco Bets on OpenTelemetry to Advance Observability
February 7, 2023 | Mike Vizard
5 Technologies Powering Cloud Optimization
February 7, 2023 | Gilad David Maayan
Platform Engineering: Creating a Paved Path to Reduce Developer Toil
February 7, 2023 | Daniel Bryant
Where Does Observability Stand Today, and Where is it Going Next?
February 6, 2023 | Tomer Levy
Five Great DevOps Job Opportunities
February 6, 2023 | Mike Vizard

TSTV Podcast

On-Demand Webinars

DevOps.com Webinar ReplaysDevOps.com Webinar Replays

GET THE TOP STORIES OF THE WEEK

Most Read on DevOps.com

OpenAI Hires 1,000 Low Wage Coders to Retrain Copilot | Netflix Blocks Password Sharing
February 2, 2023 | Richi Jennings
Automation Challenges Holding DevOps Back
February 1, 2023 | Mike Vizard
Three Trends That Will Transform DevOps in 2023
February 2, 2023 | Dan Belcher
Red Hat Brings Ansible Automation to Google Cloud
February 2, 2023 | Mike Vizard
The Ultimate Guide to Hiring a DevOps Engineer
February 2, 2023 | Vikas Agarwal
  • Home
  • About DevOps.com
  • Meet our Authors
  • Write for DevOps.com
  • Media Kit
  • Sponsor Info
  • Copyright
  • TOS
  • Privacy Policy

Powered by Techstrong Group, Inc.

© 2023 ·Techstrong Group, Inc.All rights reserved.