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