Reference no: EM133486756

Case Study: Technology is now an integral part of business, whereas it used to be just a convenient tool, product, or service of a business. With the shift from a convenience to a need, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are now having to think about technology in a strategic way, rather than just a functional way. According to McKinsey's 2018 IT strategy survey, 79% of organizations are still in the early stages of their technology transformation. In this new approach to be an effective CIO, here are some aspects to be considered.

Three Vectors of a holistic transformation

• Reimagine the role of technology in the organization - This requires analyzing the technologies of the organization and finding ways to design a 'tech-forward business strategy'.
• Reinvent technology delivery - IT should focus on next-generation capabilities such as automation, platform as a service, and cloud.
• Future-proof the foundation - An organization needs to be capable of adapting to future technology trends, this can be done through setting up the organization with a flexible technology architecture.

Five traits of a transformative CIO

• Business leader - In order for a CIO to encourage technology transformation within an organization, the CIO must be a true business leader that learns the business inside and out, takes responsibility for initiatives that generate revenue, and gets on boards.
• Change agent - In addition to being a business leader, the CIO must be a change agent: one who encourages and facilitates meaningful change. The CIO can do this by partnering with other business leaders, articulating the 'why', and having an integrated plan that highlights risks and dependencies beyond IT.
• Talent scout - A great CIO is almost always surrounded by a great team. By being a great talent scout, the CIO will find people to work with him who will also help lead and facilitate changes. The CIO needs to reimagine how to attract tech stars while also building up internal talent.
• Culture revolutionary - A shift in technology isn't just about the technology itself, but also about the culture of the organization. The CIO can have an effective talent strategy by building a true engineering community and modeling and supporting true collaboration.
• Tech translator - To help encourage and facilitate change, the CIO must educate other leaders about technologies and their applications for the business. To do this the CIO must make the business implications of tech decisions clear and demonstrate how they will affect the organization.

Key Points

CIO's must be ready to facilitate change by having the best talent working with them and partnering with other business leaders.
Having a future-focused CIO will help the business stay at the forefront of productive and beneficial technologies for the company and its customers.

Discussion Questions

• How can a CIO stay aware and ahead of the curve of new and changing technologies?
• What can managers do to advocate for technology changes and improvements in the workplace?