Shane McDaniel
As seen in:
GovLoop
Covers:
Leadership, change, technology, rural technology evolution, cybersecurity, project management, Country IT
Outlaw tech exec | CIO | Texan | Proprietor and champion of Country IT | Enjoying a life of simplicity | AF vet | read my musings at countryexec.com
Articles by Shane McDaniel
What Is The Value Of Fitbit Premium?
What Is The Value Of Fitbit Premium? I’ve long been a fan of Fitbit. According to my Amazon purchase history that fandom goes back to 2016 when I bought my first Fitbit Charge. Two years later I upgraded to the Charge 2, a couple of years after that it was the Charge 4. True to form, after another couple of years I recently took advantage of the 2023 Memorial Day sale by purchasing the Charge 5.
The Country Executive
Understanding Why It’s A Privilege To Be Texan Recently I was watching a documentary on one of the most enduring and legendary sons of Texas. In a state with no shortage of larger than life characters, Mr. Nolan Ryan stands tall. As any baseball aficionado and or good Texan would, I thoroughly enjoyed reliving the tales of a sports hero from my youth. I highly recommend watching “Facing Nolan” to any baseball fan, and to anyone that enjoys being reminded of the privilege it is to be Texan.
Country IT 2022: Revisiting A New Mindset For Technology Success
Country IT 2022: Revisiting A New Mindset For Technology Success 2022 has been a whirlwind, actually a little crazy I’d say. The days have piled onto one another leading to weeks and months passing by. Cautiousness around spending of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding delayed several technology initiatives for my organization that we would have typically jumped on much sooner.
The Country Executive
Why It’s Better To Not Major In Minor Things Don’t major in minor things. It’s another one of a seemingly endless number of countrified cliches I have in my arsenal. One of those quips I’ll say to anyone. In other words, control what you can control. Don’t worry about the small stuff. Things have a way of working themselves out. Obsessing over aspects that are likely to yield minimal returns on investment are not worthy of excessive focus. Easier said than done right? Sure, we are all guilty of it.
The Country Executive
How To Listen When Life Tells You It’s Time To Move On Sometimes you just have to listen to what your heart is telling you. Perhaps it’s that something inside of you churning, motivating you to apply for that opportunity that maybe you don’t think you’re quite ready for. Maybe it’s that project around the house you kinda sorta think you can do, but are hesitant to give it a go. If you’re anything like me then your mind can sometimes be your own worst enemy. It’s not always easy, that’s for sure.
Reasons To Value What Is In Front Of You
Reasons To Value What Is In Front Of You Earlier this month a person very dear to my life passed. My grandmother finally received her much-deserved peace for a life well lived. I found myself taking short notice bereavement, working for the great organization I do they were of course more than supportive. My adopted hometown is some three hundred miles to my actual hometown in the East Texas piney woods.
Choosing To Live In The Now
Choosing To Live In The Now To live in the now. I’m envious of those folks living in places that don’t do the time shuffle dance twice a year. Seems silly to me to cling onto actions that are no longer relevant to society. I see it as a “we’ve always done it this way” mindset. In a professional context that way of thinking drives me crazy. One aspect I do appreciate when the end of the year time change rolls around is the holidays. More so what the holidays signify to me. They are a form of closure.
Be The Example Others Aspire To Be And Need
Be The Example Others Aspire To Be And Need Be the example. If you spend enough time around me, you’re going to hear me say that from time to time. It’s one of those go to clichés I keep holstered at all times, both for myself and what I ask of the employees and vendors I work with. Set the bar high. Exceed expectations. Don’t allow others or yourself to limit who you are. Own it. Be the example. Dictate the terms of your life. I have no shortage of sayings to pull out of the deck.
The Truth Behind Being A Public Servant
The Truth Behind Being A Public Servant I’ve known for years now I am a public servant at heart. It took my transitioning to private industry to learn who I was in a professional capacity and what I wanted to do with my life. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have found my calling. It is said you never work a day in your life if you do something you love. I believe this to be true. Actually, I know it is.
How To Empower The Mind To Boost Productivity
How To Empower The Mind To Boost Productivity The power of the mind is an aspect of life I marvel at. What is it about our minds that has the ability to propel us forward? To be decisive for one action over another. To accept what is thrown our way in life versus refusing to endure the status quo. Dictate change over one’s circumstance. Something is going on in each of our minds that is motivating us to actively pursue advancement. It’s a beautiful thing to me. Mind over matter they say.
Why Choose A Simple Country Life Versus Urban Existence
Why Choose A Simple Country Life Versus Urban Existence It’s been about three and a half years since I came full circle in my life and moved back to rural Texas. The question as to why still comes up on occasion. There are people in my life that literally cannot fathom why I chose a country life and left substantial career opportunities, bloated salaries, and many of the conveniences of urban society to live in rural Texas.
Implementing Enterprise Technology in Rural America
THANK YOU FOR SUBSCRIBING Shane McDaniel, Director - IT, City of Seguin When the City of Seguin, Texas decided the time had come to take the next step with technology and offered me the honor of becoming their first Director of IT in March of 2018, I brought twenty plus years of experience working in public and private industry in places such as Los Angeles, San Jose, Dallas, the DC area, and overseas.
Cybersecurity in Rural America | GovLoop
Cybersecurity, State and Local Shane McDaniel March 31, 2021 For my last post as a GovLoop featured contributor, I thought I’d touch on a topic near and dear to my heart – cybersecurity. As I was coming up in technology, cybersecurity wasn’t really on anyone’s radar. It certainly wasn’t on the forefront of everyone’s minds as it is today.
Perspective Through the Pandemic
Leadership, Professional Development, State and Local Shane McDaniel March 23, 2021 This month marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic turning our lives upside down. As a society, our flexibility and resilience should be noted. When our backs were up against the wall, we figured out a way to move forward. In local government, we certainly took our lumps. Looking back, I am of the mindset society managed the constant influx of adaptation well all things considered.
The Value of Embracing Change
Leadership, Professional Development, Project Management Shane McDaniel March 16, 2021 I have long been an advocate and give credence to the assertion there is value in embracing change. After a quarter-century working in technology, an industry synonymous with upheaval, I have crossed paths with varying walks of life and professional traits at all levels of work center operations.
The Secret to Being a Great Leader | GovLoop
Career, Leadership, Professional Development Shane McDaniel March 11, 2021 I take a lot of pride in what my organization accomplishes. Not just my department, but every department. Holistically across the organization, we do a lot with a little, and we do it well. I always say we punch above our weight class when it comes to getting tasks completed. My organization pulls this feat off through great leadership and employees that are all in to get the job done.
3 Easy Tips to Improve at Public Speaking
Career, Communications, Professional Development Shane McDaniel March 2, 2021 Being tasked with – and the thought of – public speaking strikes fear in the heart of many professionals. That fear is so prevalent, there’s a for it. I find peace in knowing that it’s perfectly normal to possess such trepidation with the mere thought of giving a presentation. As my career has progressed, I have reached the point of being asked, and sometimes expected, to speak publicly.
Local Government Vs the 2021 Texas Winter Storm
Citizen Engagement, Leadership, State and Local Shane McDaniel February 23, 2021 It’s been a doozy of a week here in Texas. That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. Nobody knew what was in store. It had been 30-plus-years since the last winter storm of this magnitude. Millions had their lives turned upside down. In my world, it turned out to be local government versus the Texas winter storm of 2021.
Project Management: The Secret Ingredient for Organizations
IT Modernization, Project Management, Tech Shane McDaniel February 17, 2021 The original intent of this post was to write about the relationship and subsequent need for project management in delivering successful initiatives for information technology (IT). The more I thought about it, the more I could not in good faith correlate the utilization of technology project management practices as something that was not an overlying organizational need.
COVID-19, Community and Working in Government
Citizen Engagement, Healthcare, Leadership Shane McDaniel February 9, 2021 Let’s focus on COVID-19, community and working in government. As an internally-facing local government department head, I rarely have direct interaction with the community we serve as a government representative. IT responsibilities lie within the departments we support, who in turn provide services and subsequently interact with community members.
Middle Management to Executive and the 4 Pillars
Leadership, Learning, Professional Development Shane McDaniel February 2, 2021 More than half my career has been spent in management. That said, 21 years passed before I became an executive. I started at the bottom of the organizational totem pole more than once. Grit was developed navigating the journey. The path from middle management to executive was full of hurdles that had to be overcome. Through hindsight, I can state earning it the hard way was worth it.
Working in Tech – Federal vs. Local Government | GovLoop
State and Local, Tech Shane McDaniel January 27, 2021 I spent the majority of the first 15 years of my career working in federal government, and the last five supporting local government. There were a few years I worked in private industry sandwiched in the middle. At the end of the day, I was always working in tech. Per my experience, the manner in which varying levels of government go about successfully implemented technology has distinctions.
Technology Challenges in Rural America
IT Modernization, State and Local, Tech Shane McDaniel January 20, 2021 I began my current role with Seguin, Texas in March 2018. In doing so, I accepted technology challenges existing in rural America that were previously foreign to me. Implementing evolving tech and migrating off dated infrastructure platforms is never without trepidation. Pursuing the endeavor in rural America brought forth previously unknown hurdles that had to be overcome.
An Overview to Federal, Corporate and Local Career Ownership
Career, Professional Development, Project Management Shane McDaniel January 12, 2021 I’ve been amazingly fortunate in my quarter-century technology career. It began in 1996 through an enlistment in the Air Force. Being from a small town in East Texas, there wasn’t much else career ownership wise. You either went to college or you went to work. It wasn’t so much an option for me.
Country IT: A New Mindset For Definitive Technology Success
Country IT: A New Mindset For Definitive Technology Success Here’s something not everyone can lay claim too. I conceived a phrase, a way of being in a professional context. Yet another oddity in my professional existence. I am particularly proud of my creation as I believe it defines me and who I am as a professional incredibly well in just two simple words. That phrase is Country IT. That’s it. Simple right?
Do You Know The Essential Value Of Downtime?
Do You Know The Essential Value Of Downtime? A couple of weeks back my wife and two of our four dogs took off to the beautiful Texas coast town of Port Aransas for a few days. We had a vacation planned in May to Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman that was of course canceled due to the pandemic. Prior to that planned vacation it had been a year since we took time off, a week spent in Playa del Carmen.
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