CIO之道.docx

CIO之道.docx

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CIO之道

CIOs（ChiefInformationOfficer）areseniorexecutivesresponsibleforallaspectsoftheircompanies'informationtechnologyandsystems.TheydirecttheuseofITtosupportthecompany'sgoals.

CIO（信息主管）是对企业信息技术和信息系统各方面负责的高级执行者。

他们为实现企业目标而指导IT技术的应用。

Withknowledgeofbothtechnologyandbusinessprocessandacross-functionalperspective,theyareusuallythemanagersmostcapableofaligningtheorganization'stechnologydeploymentstrategywithitsbusinessstrategy.CIOsoverseetechnologypurchases,implementationandvariousrelatedservicesprovidedbytheinformationsystemsdepartment.However,atmanyleading-edgeorganizations,theCIOdelegatesmanyofthetacticalandoperationalissuestoa"trustedlieutenant"inordertofocusonmorestrategicconcerns.

The"information"partoftheCIO'sjobisincreasinglyimportant.Theeffectiveandstrategicuseofcommonenterprise-wideinformationrequiressomeonewithacross-functionalperspective.CIOshavetakenaleadershiproleinreengineeringtheirorganizations'businessprocessesandtheunderpinningITinfrastructurestoachievemoreproductive,efficientandvaluableuseofinformationwithintheenterprise.Manyalsotakealeadershiproleinknowledgemanagementandthevaluationofintellectualcapital.Similarly,CIOsareinanidealpositiontoleadorganizations'InternetandWebinitiatives.

CIOsusuallyreporttotheCEO,COOorCFO,andtheyoftenhaveaseatontheexecutivesteeringcommitteeorboard（oratleasthavefrequentandcloseaccesstotopofficers）.WhilethespecifictitleCIOisgenerallyaclearindicationofanITexecutive'sseniorrankandstrategicinfluence,manyexecutiveswiththetitleVPordirectorofinformationtechnology,systemsorservicesholdcomparablepositions.

StepUpandLead

JohnJ.Ciulla,chiefinformationofficeratcontentmanagementproviderVignetteCorp.,shareshiscareerpathstory.

WhenIfirstjoinedtheeliteranksofthebasementdwellersbackin1981,thetermCIOdidn'tevenexist.Infact,wedidn'tevenusetheterminformationtechnology—firstitwasdataprocessing,thenitwasmanagementinformationsystems（MIS）.Andlookingback,itseemslikewereallydidspendanawfullotoftimedowninthebasement,justtryingtokeepournetworkupandrunning.

Evenin1993,whenIlandedmyfirstCIOgigatEntex,ourinfrastructuregavememanysleeplessnights.Iwasconstantlyworryingaboutuptimeandputtingoutfires.Granted,itwasmyfirsttimeperformingtheCIOrole,butitseemedlikeIjustneverhadachancetotakeoffthepocketprotectorandbecomeapartofthecultureofmycompany.

YetwhileImaynothavebeenabletofeelitatthetime,bythenatransformationwasbeginning,andtechnologywasstartingtocatchuptothespeedofbusiness.TodaythesystemsandmanagementtoolsouttherearesogoodthattosayIhavenearly100percentuptimedoesn'tseemlikemuchofanaccomplishment.Uptimetodayislikedialtone—yousimplyexpectittobethere.ThesedaysIspendlessthan50percentofmytimeonthetraditionalCIOtaskofmanaginginformationsystems.ButI'mbusierthanever.

AStrategicPlayer

Weallknowthattheroleofthechiefinformationofficerisdramaticallydifferentnowfromwhatitwas10yearsagooreventwoyearsago.Today'sCIOhasmovedoutofthebasementandintotheboardroom,becomingakeyfigureinpurchasingdecisions,operationalstrategy,evenmarketingandsales.Whetherwe'recreatingthenextkillerapptokeepourcompanyonestepaheadofthecompetitionorstrategizingwiththemarketinggroupabouthowtoappealtootherITdecisionmakers,todaytheCIOisavitalpieceofanycompany'sstrategicpuzzle.Thequestionis,howdoweconvinceourbusinesspeersofthat?

FormeitallbegantochangeduringmysecondstintasaCIO,atTivoliSystems.Iwasmorecomfortablewiththechallengesofthepositionbythen,andthetechnologywasalreadyreliableenoughtofreemeupforsomeactualmanagementwork.

IbegantolookatmyITdepartmentasanorganizationinandofitself.Afterall,wehadaninfrastructure.Wedevelopedproducts.Wehadaplanandastrategy.Wehadtoalignourselveswiththeneedsofourinternalcustomers.Theonlythingwewerelackingwasamarketingandsalescomponent.Sowedecidedtocreateoneandpromoteourorganizationwithinthecompany.

Webeganaseriesofthreesix-monthcampaignstoreachoutfromourITgrouptotherestofthecompanywithsomethingthateveryonecouldrelateto.Oursloganforthefirstcampaignwas,"We'reAllintheSameBoat,"andtokickitoff,wepaintedacanoewithTivolicolors,filleditwithiceandbeer,andpresentedittotherestofthecompanyataFridayafternoonbeerbash.Duringthenextmonthsweputupposterstogenerateawarenessandexcitementforthefollow-upcampaigns—"RowtheBoat"and"WintheRace."

Intheendthosecampaignswereahugesuccessforus,andtheyreallyhelpedthepeopleinmydivisionfeelliketheywerepartofsomethingunique.Theeffortbroughtustogetherasateam,andinthemid-1990s,happyemployeeswereamajorbusinessimperative.

ButthecampaignswerealsoforthefolksoutsidetheITdepartment.Theeffortgotpeoplefromallovertheorganizationtonoticewhowewereandwhatwestoodforwithinthecompany.Isoonfoundthatnotonlyweremembersofmyteammoresatisfiedwiththeirjobs,butIstartedgettinginvitedtoleadotherinitiativesbeyondIT,eventuallyheadingupthecompany'sleadershipandcommunicationstaskforceandsomeothercoolactivitiesoutsideofthetraditionalCIOrole.Myresponsibilitygrew,andthusIbeganreportingdirectlytotheCEO.

Now,noteverycorporateculturewouldallowanexecutivetototeacanoefullofbeerintoaFridayafternoongathering,butourcampaignatTivoliwasjustoneexampleofhowtoday'sCIOismorethanthealphageek.

ChiefinformationofficerstodayaretrueC-levelexecutives,andassuchtheyarebeingaskedtodisplayrealbusinessskillsandstrategicinsightsthatcanbenefitthecompanyasawhole.TheopportunitiesforCIOstoprovidenewkindsofvaluefortheirbusinesses—andenhancetheirowncareersintheprocess—aregreaterthaneverbefore.

RunningtheBusiness

TodayatVignette,I'minvolvedinmanyaspectsofthecompanyoutsideofIT.SinceVignetteisasoftwaremaker,myITdepartmentisnotonlycreatingthenextkillerapptodriveourCRMsystemsforward,butwe'reusingourownsoftware.Thatinturnhelpsoursalesguysgooutandprovetotheworldthatwhatwe'resellingworks.

Ontheotherhand,asaCIO,I'mconstantlygettingspammedbysolicitationsfromothersoftwarecompanies.Mostofthesee-mailsandlettersareineffectiveforonereasonoranother,andIendupdeletingdozensofthemeveryweek.I'vestartedtalkingtoourmarketingfolksaboutwhythatis—Iam,afterall,thespammers'targetaudience.Byallaccountsmyexperiencehasproveninvaluabletoourmarketingstaff,andInowmeetregularlywiththemtostrategizeandofferfeedbackontheirapproachforourcompany.Similarly,I'veusedsomeofmyowncontactswithintheCIOworldtohelpoursalesguysgetafootinthedoor.

TheextraactivitieshavecontinuedtogrowtothepointwhereI'mnowrunningaroundquiteabit.LastweekIwasontheEastCoastmeetingwithmajorclientprospects.NextweekI'moffonanother,similarjunket.It'shecticbutchallenging,andveryrewarding.I'mhelpingtorunabusinessatthehighestlevel.It'shardtobelievethisisthesamejobIhadatEntexnearly10yearsago.TodayI'malloverourcompanyandalloverthecountry.Backthen,Iwasinthebasement.

It'spartlythattechnologyitselfhascomesofar—it'smorereliableandmorevaluedcompanywide.Butit'salsolargelybecauseImadeaconsciousefforttostepoutoftheCIOmoldandleadmyorganization.

Theroleofthechiefinformationofficerischanginginmanyways,andthat'sdueatleastinparttothefactthatwearechangingit.There'sbeenashiftinperceptionthat'sopenedthedoorforallofustoexpandourresponsibilitiesandourcareers.Maybeyouwon'tendupwooingthecompanywithacanoefullofbeer,butwiththebusinessskills,experienceandinsightthatCIOspossesstoday,thereareendlessopportunitiesforyoutobringnewvalueandnewleadershiptoanyorganization.

10WorstMistakesaCIOCanMake

1.Reignfromyouroffice.Letyourassistantbookyourcalendaronafirstcome,firstservedbasissothatyouhavemeetingseveryhalfhourwithyourdirectreportsandvendors.Don'tlistentothelittlevoicetellingyouthatthemajorityofyourtimeshouldbespentwithyourcustomersandthefrontlineofthebusiness.Instead,delegatethoseactivitiestoyourstaff.

2.Bestrategic,nottactical.Believeexecutiveswhentheysay,"Weneedachange-agentCIOtohelpleadbusinesstransformation."Dedicateallyourtimetoleadingstrategicinitiatives.Ignorethegrumblingaboutyourhighcoststructure,poorcustomerserviceandunevenoperationalperformance.

3.Betactical,notstrategic.Believeexecutiveswhentheysay,"AfteraperiodofheftyITinvestments,wearewellpositionedwithourcapabilitiesandneedsomebodytogetthecostsundercontrol."Focussolelyonoperationalexcellence,relyingonbudgetconstraintstomanagedemand.

4.Addressdemandona"youpay,weplay"basis.CashallthechecksthebusinessiswillingtoendorsetoIT.Assumethatawillingnesstopaycorrespondstoavaluepropositionandthatyouwillnotbeheldaccountableforunrealizedvalueandsoaringoperationalcosts.

5.Say"yes"toeverything.Agreetoallclientrequests,andtrustthatyoucangetinternalsupply