7/8/2015

CioChallengesPreparingforItLeadership

CIOChallengesPreparingforITLeadership
ITMT6:00pm9:30pmSPRING2012
Date:03/28/2012

INTRODUCTION(5Points)
JimBarton,theformerheadofLoanOperations,isappointedthenewCIOoftheIVKCorporationasthe
newCEOisattemptingaturnaroundfollowingaperiodofslowing
businessperformance1.BartonhasnoITbackgroundandtheseriouschallengesgavehimverylittletime
tolearnwhateffectiveITmanagementisallabout.
ThestorynarratedtousthreeeventsBartonhadexperiencedintheweekendbeforeheenteredthenew
office.OnFridayevening,inthebar,hemysteriouslyencounteredawisekidwhogavehima
surprisinglygoodadviceandinspirationbytellinghimitisimportanttoknowwhatyoudontknow.On
Sundaymorning,duringhisjogging,BartonmetwithBillDavies,theformerCIOadIVK.BilltoldJim
thathewontlastoneyearinthejobofCIO,whichremindedJimoftheharshtruththathewouldbe
judgedonhisperformance,regardlessofthelackofexperienceintheareathatwashisstartingpoint.On
theafternoonofthesameday,BartonsconsultantandgirlfriendMaggiemadeaverygoodsuggestion
thatBartonshouldarrangemeetingswithCIOs,analysts,investors,customers,andotherITmoversand
shakerstohelphimbetterunderstandtheroleofaCIO.

ISSUES/PROBLEMS(20Points)
*Intakingonanewassignment,howcanyouknowwhatyoudontknow?
*WhatcanbetheentrypointforanewCIOtostartthejob?
*WhatarefirstfewimportantthingsthatneedtobedoneforanewCIO?
*TheformerCIODavidsaidtoBartonthathewillbegonesoontoo.
*WhoarethepeoplethatanewCIOshouldbuildrelationshipwithtogainvaluableguidance?
*WhatarethekeyfactorsinfutureCIOsuccess?

SOLUTIONS(Takenbythecompany)(15Points)*
*Therearesomecategoriesofthingsthatyouknow,andsomethingsthatyoudont.Andyouhaveto
knowwhatisinwhichcategory.
*Starttryingtofigureoutwhoonyourteamisgoodandputpeopleintherightproject.
*1)Presentingthecurrentstatusoftheactivitieswithintheirareas.
2)Identifyingchallengesthatneededtobemetandopportunitiestocreatevalue.
3)ConstructingafuturevisionfortheroleofITinthebusiness.
4)KnowinghowmuchthecompanyspentonITthroughthePlanningandControlguy.
*FromthemomentBartontookthenewjob,therearenootheroptionsforhimbuttodoitwell.
Otherwisehisgoodperformanceintheformerdivisionwillbeeliminatedbytheincompetenceonthe
positionofCIO.Timidityandhesitationwillprovidenothinghelpful.Bartonhastostopdwellinginthe
concernsthathemightfailthejobandfocusonhowtomoveforwardandprovehimselfinthisnew
challengingposition.
*TheyaresomeCIOsfromothercompanies,industryanalysts,peopleworkingforITvendorsor
servicefirms,ITmoversandshakers,investors,andcustomers.
*1)Enhancingandmaintainingrelationshipswithotherbusinessleaders.
2)Abilitytodevelopanorganizationoftalentedtechnologistswhounderstandbusiness.
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3)AbilitytoeducateCEOandpeersonnewpossibilitiesenabledbyITandonkeybusinesstradeoffs
implicitintechnologychoices.

EVALUATIONOFSOLUTIONS/ANALYSIS(35Points)
*Youdonthavetoactuallyknowthingsyoudontknow,youjusthavetoknowwhattheyareand
realizethattheyreinthenotknowingcategory.Thiswillhelpyouprioritizeproblemsandunderstand
wheretostartinapileofmessystuffs.
*Theboundarybetweentechnicalandmanagementstuffmightnotbeclearcut.Toleadatechnology
team,ITknowledgeandmanagementskillsarebothessential.Byknowingyourteammemberwell,you
canavoidrewardingdoltsandunderappreciatinggenius,orinsistingonobjectivesthatmakenosense
aswellassomemanagementignorance.
*ASWOTanalysistoboththedivisionandindividualwillhelptofindtheirpositioninbusinessandin
whichareastheyshouldconcentrateresourcesonduringtheirwork.TheattentiononthefutureroleofIT
inbusinesswillhelptodeterminethedirectionthatITdepartmentshouldheadto.Andknowingthe
budgetplanfortheirITsectorwillhelpthemtoprogramhowtousemoneyeffectivelyandsmartly.
*Inbusiness,memoriesareshort.Despitethefactthatheismostflexiblememberofthesenior
managementteam,iftheydidntlikewhathedidwiththeITdepartment,thecompanymight
unceremoniouslyboothimandthepeerswillshownomoreloyaltytowardshim.IfJimBartonisgoing
tobecometheCIOofIVKhewillbejudgedonhisperformance,regardlessofthedeficitofexperience
intheareathatwashisstartingpoint.
*RepeatingengagementswithotherCIOswillprovideBartonlessonsandexperienceforhisjob,
maybenotrightaway,butwillintime.ItisalsoparticularlyhelpfulforBartontotalktopeoplewho
haveabusinessviewintoIT.Andbymeetingwithcustomers,BartonwillknowhowwellIVKis
meetingtheirbusinessneedswithIT.Atlast,fromtheITmoversandshakers,Bartonwillgetthelatest
industrytrendsandwonderfulideastoopenhismind,expendhisvision,andpreparehimtoleadthe
change,whichisvitalforanITtechnicalsectionmanager.
*1)Relationshipandcommunicationwithotherleadersisimportantforamanager,becausetoday,
interdependenceismoreimportantthanindependence.
2)ITdepartmentisnotapuretechnicalsectioninacompany,butadepartmentthataimsat
implementingtechnologytoservebusinessobjectives.SothealignmentbetweenITandbusinessshould
befocusedoninITdepartmentandpeopleworkinginthisorganizationhastoknowbothITand
businesswell.
3)Asabusinessman,asmartCIOshouldmakeitverycleartoCEOandotherpeerswhattheywillget
fromITtechnology,inotherwords,makethemknowthecostandreturnofITinvestmentandthe
predictableretributionandprofitthatITcanbringtobusiness.

RECOMMENDATIONS(10Points)
*WorksystematicallytodevelopthebusinesscredibilityoftheITorganization.
*PositionITasastrategicandcompetitivenecessitymakesureITplans,actions,andcapabilitiesare
clearlylinkedtocompanyobjectivesandgoals.
*Speakthelanguageofbusiness,insideITandespeciallywithBusinesspartners.
*KeepastrongconnectionwiththeCEOandbusinesspeers.
*Dontlosesightofefficiencyandbearelentlesscostreducer.
*UnderstandimpactsofITontherevenueandcostsidesoftheincomestatement.
*InvestinagilityofsystemsandITarchitecture.
*Establisharobustgovernanceframeworkandmanagetheprojectportfoliotomaximizereturn.

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CONCLUSION(5Points)
CanapersonwithoutITbackgroundbecomeasuccessfulCIO?
Fromthisstory,IlearnedthatbeingaqualifiedCIOrequirestheintegrationoftheITknowledgeand
managementskillsratherthanoneofthem.First,figureoutthestrengthandweaknessofyourteam
membersandputthemintotherightproject.Second,buildconnectionswithpeoplerelatedtoyour
businesstogetexperience,informationandinspiration.Theabovetwosuggestionsmightnotbethevery
keystobecomeagoodCIO,buttheywillleadanoutsiderlikeBartontotherightwayofpursuingthe
effectiveinformationtechnologyleadership,regardlesstowhatextentheorsheknowsaboutITstuff
before.

RELATIONTOTHECHAPTER(10Points)
Inchapter6,theauthortalkedaboutITplanning.Today,itismorevitalthatITplanningprocessesare
continuouslyimprovedandadjustedbecauseoftherapidchangingtechnologies.Thestrategic,tactical
andoperationallevelofITplanningallrequireseffectiveness.Relatedtothisstory,foraCIO,effective
ITplansneedseffectiveITleadership,whichmeansnotonlyleadingahighperformanceteamand
virtuallyintegratingtheresources,butalsoeffectivelycontrollingspendingandbeingadequately
preparedforeventualities.ThechallengesforaCIOliesubstantiallynotinthelayerofITbutinthelayer
ofmanagement.

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