7/8/2015 CioChallengesPreparingforItLeadership

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CIOChallengesPreparingforITLeadershipITMT6:00pm9:30pmSPRING2012Date:03/28/2012

INTRODUCTION(5Points)JimBarton,theformerheadofLoanOperations,isappointedthenewCIOoftheIVKCorporationasthenewCEOisattemptingaturnaroundfollowingaperiodofslowingbusinessperformance1.BartonhasnoITbackgroundandtheseriouschallengesgavehimverylittletimetolearnwhateffectiveITmanagementisallabout.ThestorynarratedtousthreeeventsBartonhadexperiencedintheweekendbeforeheenteredthenewoffice.OnFridayevening,inthebar,hemysteriouslyencounteredawisekidwhogavehimasurprisinglygoodadviceandinspirationbytellinghimitisimportanttoknowwhatyoudontknow.OnSundaymorning,duringhisjogging,BartonmetwithBillDavies,theformerCIOadIVK.BilltoldJimthathewontlastoneyearinthejobofCIO,whichremindedJimoftheharshtruththathewouldbejudgedonhisperformance,regardlessofthelackofexperienceintheareathatwashisstartingpoint.Ontheafternoonofthesameday,BartonsconsultantandgirlfriendMaggiemadeaverygoodsuggestionthatBartonshouldarrangemeetingswithCIOs,analysts,investors,customers,andotherITmoversandshakerstohelphimbetterunderstandtheroleofaCIO.

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

SOLUTIONS(Takenbythecompany)(15Points)**Therearesomecategoriesofthingsthatyouknow,andsomethingsthatyoudont.Andyouhavetoknowwhatisinwhichcategory.*Starttryingtofigureoutwhoonyourteamisgoodandputpeopleintherightproject.*1)Presentingthecurrentstatusoftheactivitieswithintheirareas.2)Identifyingchallengesthatneededtobemetandopportunitiestocreatevalue.3)ConstructingafuturevisionfortheroleofITinthebusiness.4)KnowinghowmuchthecompanyspentonITthroughthePlanningandControlguy.*FromthemomentBartontookthenewjob,therearenootheroptionsforhimbuttodoitwell.OtherwisehisgoodperformanceintheformerdivisionwillbeeliminatedbytheincompetenceonthepositionofCIO.Timidityandhesitationwillprovidenothinghelpful.Bartonhastostopdwellingintheconcernsthathemightfailthejobandfocusonhowtomoveforwardandprovehimselfinthisnewchallengingposition.*TheyaresomeCIOsfromothercompanies,industryanalysts,peopleworkingforITvendorsorservicefirms,ITmoversandshakers,investors,andcustomers.*1)Enhancingandmaintainingrelationshipswithotherbusinessleaders.2)Abilitytodevelopanorganizationoftalentedtechnologistswhounderstandbusiness.

7/8/2015 CioChallengesPreparingforItLeadership

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3)AbilitytoeducateCEOandpeersonnewpossibilitiesenabledbyITandonkeybusinesstradeoffsimplicitintechnologychoices.

EVALUATIONOFSOLUTIONS/ANALYSIS(35Points)*Youdonthavetoactuallyknowthingsyoudontknow,youjusthavetoknowwhattheyareandrealizethattheyreinthenotknowingcategory.Thiswillhelpyouprioritizeproblemsandunderstandwheretostartinapileofmessystuffs.*Theboundarybetweentechnicalandmanagementstuffmightnotbeclearcut.Toleadatechnologyteam,ITknowledgeandmanagementskillsarebothessential.Byknowingyourteammemberwell,youcanavoidrewardingdoltsandunderappreciatinggenius,orinsistingonobjectivesthatmakenosenseaswellassomemanagementignorance.*ASWOTanalysistoboththedivisionandindividualwillhelptofindtheirpositioninbusinessandinwhichareastheyshouldconcentrateresourcesonduringtheirwork.TheattentiononthefutureroleofITinbusinesswillhelptodeterminethedirectionthatITdepartmentshouldheadto.AndknowingthebudgetplanfortheirITsectorwillhelpthemtoprogramhowtousemoneyeffectivelyandsmartly.*Inbusiness,memoriesareshort.Despitethefactthatheismostflexiblememberoftheseniormanagementteam,iftheydidntlikewhathedidwiththeITdepartment,thecompanymightunceremoniouslyboothimandthepeerswillshownomoreloyaltytowardshim.IfJimBartonisgoingtobecometheCIOofIVKhewillbejudgedonhisperformance,regardlessofthedeficitofexperienceintheareathatwashisstartingpoint.*RepeatingengagementswithotherCIOswillprovideBartonlessonsandexperienceforhisjob,maybenotrightaway,butwillintime.ItisalsoparticularlyhelpfulforBartontotalktopeoplewhohaveabusinessviewintoIT.Andbymeetingwithcustomers,BartonwillknowhowwellIVKismeetingtheirbusinessneedswithIT.Atlast,fromtheITmoversandshakers,Bartonwillgetthelatestindustrytrendsandwonderfulideastoopenhismind,expendhisvision,andpreparehimtoleadthechange,whichisvitalforanITtechnicalsectionmanager.*1)Relationshipandcommunicationwithotherleadersisimportantforamanager,becausetoday,interdependenceismoreimportantthanindependence.2)ITdepartmentisnotapuretechnicalsectioninacompany,butadepartmentthataimsatimplementingtechnologytoservebusinessobjectives.SothealignmentbetweenITandbusinessshouldbefocusedoninITdepartmentandpeopleworkinginthisorganizationhastoknowbothITandbusinesswell.3)Asabusinessman,asmartCIOshouldmakeitverycleartoCEOandotherpeerswhattheywillgetfromITtechnology,inotherwords,makethemknowthecostandreturnofITinvestmentandthepredictableretributionandprofitthatITcanbringtobusiness.

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

7/8/2015 CioChallengesPreparingforItLeadership

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CONCLUSION(5Points)CanapersonwithoutITbackgroundbecomeasuccessfulCIO?Fromthisstory,IlearnedthatbeingaqualifiedCIOrequirestheintegrationoftheITknowledgeandmanagementskillsratherthanoneofthem.First,figureoutthestrengthandweaknessofyourteammembersandputthemintotherightproject.Second,buildconnectionswithpeoplerelatedtoyourbusinesstogetexperience,informationandinspiration.TheabovetwosuggestionsmightnotbetheverykeystobecomeagoodCIO,buttheywillleadanoutsiderlikeBartontotherightwayofpursuingtheeffectiveinformationtechnologyleadership,regardlesstowhatextentheorsheknowsaboutITstuffbefore.

RELATIONTOTHECHAPTER(10Points)Inchapter6,theauthortalkedaboutITplanning.Today,itismorevitalthatITplanningprocessesarecontinuouslyimprovedandadjustedbecauseoftherapidchangingtechnologies.Thestrategic,tacticalandoperationallevelofITplanningallrequireseffectiveness.Relatedtothisstory,foraCIO,effectiveITplansneedseffectiveITleadership,whichmeansnotonlyleadingahighperformanceteamandvirtuallyintegratingtheresources,butalsoeffectivelycontrollingspendingandbeingadequatelypreparedforeventualities.ThechallengesforaCIOliesubstantiallynotinthelayerofITbutinthelayerofmanagement.