| We all dream of the day that we will get the nod to | | | | active role in the company's IT governance process. |
| become CIO - finally we will have arrived. Or will we | | | | You are going to have to be able to make some hard |
| have? Take just a moment and think about all of | | | | calls when it comes to identifying what the company's |
| those major projects that you've see during your | | | | IT priorities are. On top of this, you will have to be able |
| career that started out with a bang and ended up | | | | to communicate to others in the firm what the different |
| failing and going away with a whimper. When you are | | | | trade-offs are to each decision. |
| CIO, things are going be different and that's because | | | | Make Business Units Actually Use Digitized Business |
| you won't just be the CIO, you'll also be the company's | | | | Processes |
| Strategic Execution Officer. | | | | Time to play Mr. Tough-Guy here. As Strategic |
| What Have I Signed Up For? | | | | Execution Officer you are going to have to show up |
| Business processes are like pit-bulls: they really don't | | | | and make each of the company's business units start |
| like change and if you try to change them, they are | | | | to use the new digitized business processes once the |
| probably going to bit you really, really hard. This is one | | | | implementation is done. This is not going to be easy to |
| of the reasons that so many major company initiatives | | | | do. |
| fail - nobody really wants to go to the effort to | | | | We all know how this plays out: a project goes in and |
| change. | | | | then half of the company finds a way to get their jobs |
| What's been missing for far too long has been a | | | | done without using the new system because they |
| Strategic Execution Officer and since so many of | | | | don't want to be bothered to learn how the new |
| today's major projects involve the IT side of the house, | | | | system works. You must not allow this to happen. If |
| who better to assume this role than the CIO? | | | | you have to take away the systems that are allowing |
| In your future role as your company's CIO / Strategic | | | | them to work around the new system, then so be it. |
| Execution Officer you will not only be responsible for | | | | Create Both Structures And Initiatives That Make The |
| making sure that the new IT systems go in on time, but | | | | Company Change |
| also that the company's processes and the behaviors | | | | Making the entire IT organization ultimately report to |
| of the staff are changed so that the new way of | | | | the Strategic Execution Officer solves the problem of |
| doing business actually gets implemented. | | | | how to motive the IT staff to follow through on a |
| Sound challenging? It does to me. That's why we need | | | | company-wide change. In firms that have multiple CIOs, |
| to reach out to researchers Dr. Jeanne Ross and Dr. | | | | this is one way to quickly solve a lot of common |
| Peter Weill who have taken the time to look into what | | | | structural problems. |
| four things a Strategic Execution Officer needs to do. | | | | Getting the business unit leaders to sign up and agree |
| Let's see what they recommend. | | | | to use the results of a multi-year IT project can be |
| Create & Manage IT Systems Used For Strategic | | | | tricky. Identifying and removing real and perceived |
| Initiatives | | | | obstacles is one way to go about doing this. Another is |
| A CIO will tend to look at a given project and search | | | | taking the time to talk with each business unit leader in |
| for ways to get it successfully implemented. A | | | | order to make sure that they understand why the |
| Strategic Execution Officer realizes that in order for | | | | change is happening and how they will benefit from it. |
| the company to be successful, the core processes | | | | What All Of This Means For You |
| that allow the company to operate smoothly and | | | | Becoming the CIO of your firm will be a major |
| efficiently need to be digitized. | | | | accomplishment in your IT career. However, far too |
| This means not just one IT project, but potentially | | | | many of us have become CIOs only to eventually fail |
| several need to be done in such a way that they | | | | at implementing some major company-wide project. |
| support the company as it is today and as it will be | | | | The reason that so many of these projects fail is |
| tomorrow. Key components of this type of solution | | | | because the company lacked a Strategic Execution |
| include a single well-managed database, a | | | | Officer to see the project through from start to finish. |
| standardized development system that allows the | | | | This is a role that you are going to have to be willing to |
| creation of different applications to easily talk to each | | | | step up and play. |
| other, and a solid communications network so that | | | | As the Strategic Execution Officer you will be |
| workers can access the data and applications that | | | | responsible for coordinating projects that span the |
| they need from just about anywhere. | | | | entire company. Your ability to be successful at doing |
| Become A Leader In How The Company Does IT | | | | this won't rest so much on your technical skills as they |
| Governance | | | | will rest on you ability to motivate the business unit |
| The CIO / Strategic Execution Officer is the one | | | | heads to participate in both the project and its final |
| person in the company who is best situated to see it | | | | results. Good luck! |
| all. This means that you are going to have to take an | | | | |