Think like a Manager?

billyr2009 · June 2014

Hello again,
I was wondering how does one think like a manager for the exam? I am not sure because I have never been a manager. can anyone clarify to help me understand? Thanks all and have a good weekend.

TheProfezzor · June 2014

Don't think too deep, into the problem. Don't be very technical. Think like a manager means, to think in a broad perspective. To get the "Eagle Eye" perspective of the organization and decide on the options provided to you. Like, what would you do if one of your critical systems go down?. Would you install the operating system and try to revive the database or, initiate the "Business Continuity Procedures"?. A manager would initiate the BCP\DRP and the technical staff would be worried about the tasks on the ground.

CyberfiSecurity · June 2014

Since, I am a technical guy, it is easy for me to go off track to think like a technical mind. Every question, I repeated myself in the head to look at the question from Management or business stakeholders angle. And it worked every well for my exam this morning...

LionelTeo · June 2014

It would be easier for you if you are in a sector where 4 eyes principle is very important. Think of way how problems are solves in your daily life.

I can give you a quick crash course.

Imagine you are a team leader leading a team of 1000 people, and your aim would be to achieve the least human error in daily life.

People, Process, Technology

People
They all make careless mistake, therefore its important to take note of the strength of humans. Flexibility and adapbility to situations; however, a single people alone cannot be a point of trust given that human do make errors all the time (even if you educated them countlessly), always had 4 eyes princple in getting a task done. As such job rotations, least privilege and seperation of duties comes in.

There are two types of worker in general. One would be the consistent type that can flawless produce similar work (like a robot). The others would be ideas driven that can produce ideas that drives the team.

Technology
They do not make careless mistake, but sometimes due to inflexibility, when they are configured wrongly, they make the same mistake all the way. Therefore, they are required to be kept in check frequently and tweak accordingly from time to time.

Process/Procedure/Policy
Defines a fixated way to do things. This is useful to enforce a fixated way to do things to consistent workers. But inconsistent type may deviate slightly, and thus run into making human error.

So how do we prevent human error?
Technology and Process is use to minimise human error, while Human are use to keep check of technology and process and tweak them over time as they get better. In the case where all else fails, then 4 eyes princple must be enforce. Always remember a single point of human cannot be trusted, they can be disgruntled, careless, or not knowledgable enough to perform the given duty.

Firefighting and Teamwork
Fire Fighting refers to a scenario where a quick fix is done without considering if the problem will arise again in the future. One quick fix can lead to many unsolved problems, always remember that preparation and planning supersedes everything, in every situation, you must consider the impact to the solution, is it a quick fix or a permanent one?

Teamwork
While teamwork may not be an important CISSP topic, its important. Having experience and seen enviroment of both side of a good team work and bad team work. Bad Teamwork would be every team member start to look at each other weakness and blame each other. Good teamwork overlook each other member weakness, and utitlise every strength to proceed as a team. Even the most useless team member had a used. Once again from experience, if a guy can reproduce consistent work, then it would best to have him to do docuementation work. Even the most ineffecient guy, may he do not had any drive; would be okay as long as he is friendly to the team. The talented people had to understand what it is mean to be in a team, if someone is causing politics, the whole team collaspe, a team with maybe 1 or 2 ideas driven person can proceed forward in good directions as long as the other 8 or 10 people does not cause politics and make the enviroment pleasant to work, this is the most important in team building.

Think like a Manager?

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