The CIO Paradox summary

So, IT is just the department that answers the helpdesk phones, right? Well, such a limited view of IT, which exists even among company executives, can greatly diminish the important work that CIOs can accomplish.

A good CIO makes sure that the IT department isn’t seen as merely serving a supportive function. Kim Hammonds, the CIO of Boeing, demonstrates how IT can influence company strategy and even bring in more revenue for a company.

Running a truly global IT organization means taking into consideration multiple languages, cultures, time zones and currencies. This can make being a CIO extremely challenging. So how do you meet these demands?

First of all, a CIO should know which processes are suited for globalization and which should stay local. After all, consumer expectations differ from country to country. For example, in India it’s not uncommon to wait in line for 45 minutes. For customers in Brazil, on the other hand, anything over a 20-second wait is enough to make them leave.

Have you ever been saddled with an ancient cell phone at work because it’s the preferred device of the IT department? It might seem like a minor inconvenience, but these kinds of technology-based decisions can have a big impact on a CIO.

It’s normal for employees to want to use the most up-to-date technology, and the CIO will be flooded with demands from every department: the CEO wants to use her iPad for conference calls; the sales team needs to access their customer database on the road; your administrative assistant will want to log into his corporate email account from his new iPhone. And, naturally, the more these requests are denied, the more IT-resenting employees there will be.

It’s not uncommon for there to be confusion about the role IT plays in an organization. Even CEOs sometimes misinterpret the function of the IT department, because their background is typically in finance, sales or operations – not IT.

This misunderstanding between the CEO and CIO can lead to another paradox: you’re an integral part of every aspect of the business, yet you’re viewed as being a separate department altogether.

So you’ve improved the functionality of the IT department and created a better work environment. Your job as CIO is complete, right? Not so fast. To really build a lasting legacy you need to make sure your successor is right for the job.

This brings us to our final paradox: how do you groom a successor while keeping in mind that only a fraction of Fortune 500 companies adhere to their CIO’s succession plan?

The key message in this book:

Today, technology is what enables a business to be successful. Therefore, IT should be seen as a crucial part of any business strategy. Yet, CIOs are constantly struggling to be taken into consideration. To overcome this CIO paradox, CIOs should look beyond the IT department and focus on how they can influence the entire business and instill an innovative mindset in their team.