Saturday, December 5, 2015

The Spotlight on Digital CIOs Dec. 2015

Modern CIOs have many personas and face great challenges.


The “Future of CIO” Blog has reached 1.1 million page views with about #2300th blog posting in 59+ different categories of leadership, management, strategy, digitalization, change/talent, etc. The content richness is not for its own sake, but to convey the vision and share the wisdom. Here is the monthly strategy highlight of the “Future of CIO” blog.


Modern CIOs have many personas and face great challenges. It is not sufficient to only keep the light on. Regardless of which industry or the nature of organization you are in, being a digital leader will need to master the art of creating unique, differentiating value from piles of commoditized technologies, but more specifically, what are the digital-savvy CIOs doing to run IT as a value creator and innovation engine?

The Profiles of Digital CIOs  II  Dec. 2015
  • CIO as ‘Chief Idea Officer’: Three Aspects of Idea Management: Innovation is the light every forward-looking organization is pursuing. However, innovation should no longer be treated as serendipity; it can be managed systematically and scientifically. From strategic planning to resource allocation and funding, to program management, to rewards and recognitions, the comprehensive innovation management with platform support, and on-site program management can help an organization build a strong innovation program from the ground-up.


  • CIO as "Chief Investment Officer": How to Present IT Value to the Business? Successful CIOs know not only know the IT side but also understand the business, as CIO is not just the guy/gal running the PC help desk anymore. There are far larger, business-oriented responsibilities on the horizon, the skill set of CIO is going to transition from running IT infrastructure to best applying IT to business problems. Thus, on one side, CIO is a Chief "Intrapreneur" Officer to run IT as a startup, on the other hand, CIO acts as a “Chief Investment Officer” to scrutinize business case, master business language, and well prepare what if you have a seat at big table, how do you present effectively.


  • CIO as Chief Interaction Officer: How to Communicate with Board & Executive Peers Effectively? CIOs play a significant leadership role to convey the technological vision and interact with internal business executives or boards. In order to bridge the gap between business talks and IT talks, they are responsible for making sure that the IT meets the business requirements and works as an enabler. But what are the most effective way for CIOs to communicate: Board presentation, governance meeting; IT briefing, portal or informal discussion?


  • CIO as Chief Improvement Officer. (Part I) (Part II) (Part III): The “I” in CIO title is full of imagination; Chief Improvement Officer is a right fit for modern CIO role. CIOs need to have unique insight, technological vision to understand the business not only from the inside-out viewpoint but through outside-in customer’s lens. With that knowledge, CIOs can drive innovation to improve the hard business process and soft organizational culture by implementing technical solution and improve IT and overall business agility and maturity.


  • CIOs as Chief Influence Officer: (Part II)  Chief influence officer is one of the most pertinent personas for CIO in the 21st century since technology is ubiquitous in the information age. The CIO role by nature is fraught with paradox. The modern CIO need be both business strategist and IT manager, innovator and cost-cutter, visionary and situation-driven.However, the traditional big box hardware style of IT infrastructure is disappearing, and more invisible digitized IT backbone based on Cloud computing is emerging, modern CIO is no longer just the chief infrastructure officer to manage back office of functional IT, this strategic role is more based on the influence made across the organizational boundary, from innovation to sustainability, from talent management to cultural transformation.
Blogging is not about writing, but about thinking and innovating the new ideas; it’s not just about WHAT to say, but about WHY to say, and HOW to say it. It reflects the color and shade of your thought patterns, and it indicates the peaks and curves of your thinking waves. Unlike pure entertainment, quality and professional content takes time for digesting, contemplation and engaging, and therefore, it takes the time to attract the "hungry minds" and the "deep souls." It’s the journey to amplify diverse voices and deepen digital footprints, and it's the way to harness your innovative spirit.

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