Conclusion
During her research process, and her career, the author finds that CIOs who are successful have not broken or done away with the paradoxes, but instead have managed them successfully. In many instances, the paradox isn't something that is going to go away, ever, and effectiveness is a matter of mitigating its consequences. So to conclude the book, the author presents a long list of random advice.
- Develop nontechnical skills. Technical expertise is critical, but it is not enough on its own. You must understand the business to know how technology can be applied, and you must have the communication and interpersonal skills to sell your vision.
- Grow your own talent. There is already a "war for talent" going on, and it will get worse. If you are dependent on the market for skills, you will be at a significant disadvantage.
- Learn to recruit. For talent you can't grow internally, a more aggressive and proactive approach to recruiting will be necessary. With good people in high demand, you can't count on job boards to bring in rock star candidates - instead, you will get flotsam.
- Differentiate the core from the context. Until you are able to distinguish between those things that are critical and those that are of little importance, you will remain heads-down and buried in inconsequential matters.
- Reach beyond technology. Technology executives should seem to apply their expertise in project management, process improvement, planning, and resource management to areas other than information systems, seeking to do what is right for the company rather than merely doing what is demanded of them.
- Move closer to the revenue. When information technology is in the back office, it is perceived as unimportant; but when it is closer to the front lines, especially as a way in which the firm interacts with customers, its value is recognized. Especially with the Internet and mobile computing, it is an excellent time for the CIO to get closer to the money.
- Be innovative. A CIO who is stuck in a maintenance mindset will likewise remain forever in the background. There is value in being able to achieve operational excellence, but you must also be able to proactively improve the business.
- Visit external customers. While you may be involved solely in the development of internal systems, those systems are used by others who ultimately are seeking to serve the external customers. Knowing the needs of the ultimate beneficiaries of your system will help you in predicting and suggesting the functionality internal departments will benefit from having.
- Be the business. A CIO who has a "serve the business" mindset will always be in servant mode, whereas one who recognizes that his department is part of the business proper is positioned to be an equal, and a partner to other business units.
- Cultivate patience. Many CIOs are in a hurry to demonstrate value, and end up running ahead of the gun. They end up demonstrating an ability to do bad work fast and earning a reputation for being imperious and unresponsive. Have the patience to take the time to do things well.
- Exercise leadership. The CIOs who have not learned how to exert leadership find that they have little credibility at the executive table. Management involves the stewardship of resources, but leadership requires having vision and convincing others to follow. The more you are talking about the past, or day-to-day operations, the less you are leading.
- Establish transparence. One of the greatest causes of the us-v-them overtones in the relationship between IT and the rest of the organization is that the IT department is secretive and keeps most of the details in a black box. It's not that business leaders really care to know the nuts and bolts details, but having the detail withheld arouses suspicion and mistrust.
- Lead change. Most technology projects involve changes to practices and procedures. Rather than just doing the technical part and leaving the business to handle change management, reach across the fence to help people in the organization adapt to the changes and adopt new technologies.
- Be involved in the business. Create a role for someone in IT to interact with the business on a regular basis - the point of contact for all their projects, and a fly in the wall on meetings that seem to have no technical portent at all. This person should blend in and act as aprt of the business team.
- Communicate. Speak to people in terms that they can understand, and make sure you repeat a message multiple times and in multiple channels to give others the ability to internalize it. Think of it in the same way companies think of advertizing - you have to hit the audience multiple times before the message sinks in.
- Simplify. Technology is often seen as an obstruction that prevents things from being done, or makes it harder to get things done. Your goal should be the opposite - to find a way to facilitate, expedite, and simplify.
- Learn to sell. Technology is a major investment for most firms, and one they are less likely to make if they do not see the benefits of having it. You have to be able to sell technology solutions by speaking to the benefits the business will receive by adopting it.
- Be accountable. IT departments are infamous for their ability to tender excuses and explanations as to why they failed to achieve the outcomes they promised. The only thing that others are interested in is getting results. Make a point of delivering.