The CIO needs to reapply for his job – Again
My recent FT piece resonated across the pond with Bob Evans of Information Week in his latest posting. Click here. His take on my message was positive and he was able to express it in a less blunt manner.
I commented on Bob's blog stating that I had mixed feelings about taking such a blunt approach, but there is no point dressing it up. This downturn provides an opportunity for the CIO to become the hero of the hour and thereby raise the bar in terms of what the IT industry can potentially deliver by way of business value.
In my experience many CIOs are locked into an operational mindset when we need them to be strategic. I appreciate it's easy for me to say and very difficult for CIOs to do.
Bottom line, if CIOs don't raise their game they should get ready to hand the IT department door keys over to a technology provider that can deliver more for less.
The question is how can CIOs build the trust needed to the point where as Bob puts it "their point of view on business issues and strategy is not only accepted but is in fact eagerly sought out. "
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Hi Ade—your thoughtful post got a lot of attention over here and is a theme that needs to be addressed relentlessly in 2009. In a post that just went up on InformationWeek’s “Global CIO” blog, I made this point:
“A recently released study on CIO leadership revealed that 51% of CIOs “have developed business-value indicators that link IT performance metrics and business goals.” That means 49% are failing to make and communicate this absolutely critical connection. How can those 49% expect to keep their jobs if they’re not proving they deserve to keep them?” The entire post is here: https://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/12/half_of_cios_fa.html
Hard medicine, to be sure, but the brutal economic climate isn’t going away anytime soon and it actually presents a terrific opportunity for business-minded CIOs to trigger the business-centric changes that are so essential. Thanks, and all the best. –Bob
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Hi Bob,
I took a look at the survey that underpins your Information Week blog post. The credibility of the survey creators is unimpeachable.
However I have gut feeling concerns about the upbeatedness of the findings. I have yet to look at it in detail but ‘blink’ moment number one was noting that only 6% of respondents report into the CFO. This bears little resemblance to the reality that I am exposed to.
51% having business-value indicators I take to be a very positive improvement. But when does a new network start delivering business value and when does it end. It is very difficult to isolate the IT department’s value contribution to a business imperative. Eg. To what extent does the telephone contribute to a successful telesales campaign? 50% of associated revenues? 80% of associated profits? It’s not possible to say.
It’s my view that the 49% have realised this and it is the 51% we should be worried about.
Cheers
Ade