"It's all right, you see," Einstein replied. "The questions are the same, but the answers are different."

What was true for Einstein's students is true for IT. How we answer the questions may change as we progress from client/server to Web-based to open-source technologies, but what we need to address -- those business processes that are at the core of how a company operates -- are problems that don't change too much over time.

3. Tell good stories (and have good metrics). Being able to explain how and where IT is adding value is a critical but frequently underappreciated skill. It's not self-serving to broadly and appropriately disseminate stories about how IT is adding value; it's a matter of survival. How will the vice president of marketing and the CEO understand the effect of IT if someone doesn't draw the connections for them?

Most business leaders don't look at positive sales-growth figures and automatically think, "Good job, IT department!" However, if that sales growth has come from online channels and IT has been a partner in creating an effective and efficient Web presence, then some credit is due. Just be sure to tell the story in terms that business leaders can understand: Minutes of uptime since last reboot, for instance, may not be as compelling a metric to executives as the number of customers finding product information online.

4. Hire good people. It has been Pfizer's mantra for years that if you hire smart people, give them the tools to do their job, and measure and reward them on what is appropriate, then good results will more than likely ensue. People can be taught IT skills and can learn the ins and outs of a particular industry, but it's very difficult to teach common sense and the ability to learn new things. By the time most people reach the workforce, they either have these or they don't.