Straight to the Top E-Book

Gregory S. Smith

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 357

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

You have what it takes to be a CIO. Do you have a strategy for getting there? Now you do. "Gregory Smith has written the definitive work on how to achieve leadership success in IT. This well-written and carefully researched book is a must-read for any IT professional with aspirations toward the top IT spot. Years from now, seasoned IT leaders will be crediting Smith's book with playing a role in their success." --Martha Heller, Managing Director, IT Leadership Practice, Z Resource Group, and cofounder, CIO Executive Council "Wow! Put all the tips, advice, and strategies in this book to use now. The road to the top is rarely straight--follow Gregory's advice and the path will reveal itself to you!" --John R. Sullivan, CIO, AARP "While most professions have a distinct road map to the top, there is no standard career path to becoming a CIO. Smith addresses this unique challenge and provides aspiring CIOs with encouragement, advice, and essential skills based on years of his own and other CIOs' cumulative experience -- an important effort for the profession that Smith's fellow members in the CIO Executive Council embrace and applaud." --Mark Hall, General Manager of the CIO Executive Council "Teaching students what a CIO really does has been tough. We've had to choose between anecdotal treatments based on trade press articles and integrated academic frameworks that offer little in the way of lived experiences. Greg's book fixes that. By organizing interviews with leading technology executives, trade press reports, and his own experiences as a CIO, he provides an organized and comprehensive view of the job and its important role in modern organizations." --Fred Collopy, PHD, Professor and Chair of Information Systems and Professor of Cognitive Science, Case Western Reserve University

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Preface

TARGET AUDIENCE

APPROACH

Acknowledgements

PART ONE - Building the Necessary Skills and Relationships

CHAPTER 1 - Key IT Skills to Have

THE CIO AND THE CTO—WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CIO

STATE OF THE CIO

HOW IMPORTANT ARE CORE TECHNOLOGY SKILLS?

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 2 - Methodologies, Projects, and IT Change Management

WHAT ARE METHODOLOGIES AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT?

PROJECT MANAGEMENT—THE KEY TO SUCCESS

IT CHANGE MANAGEMENT—THE KEY TO MINIMIZING UNNECESSARY DOWNTIME

CHANGE MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION TOOLS

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 3 - IT Standards and Governance

THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF IT GOVERNANCE

IT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

IT STANDARDS

IT STRATEGIES, INVESTMENTS, AND BUDGETING

COMMUNICATING IT STANDARDS, POLICIES, AND PROCESSES

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 4 - Learn the Business and Build Key Relationships

THINK LIKE A CONSULTANT TO LEARN THE BUSINESS

HOW TO BUILD EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS—INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

GETTING QUICK WINS TO ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY AND TRUST

FOCUS ON DELIVERY, DELIVERY, DELIVERY

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 5 - Effective Communication Skills and Styles

BREAK OUT AND COMMUNICATE

THINK, WRITE, AND SPEAK

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

COMMUNICATING PROJECT WINS—GIVING CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

PART TWO - Preparing for the Role of the CIO

CHAPTER 6 - What Executive Recruiters Are Looking For

RECRUITING TRENDS FOR IT EXECUTIVES

CONTACTING AND WORKING WITH AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER

PREPARING FOR A MEETING WITH AN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER AND NEGOTIATING TO WIN

SURVEY RESULTS FROM EXECUTIVE RECRUITERS

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 7 - Building the Right Network

DEVELOP YOUR TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS NETWORK EARLY

WHERE DO CONSULTANTS AND VENDORS FIT IN?

FIND A SOLID MENTOR

DON’T IGNORE YOUR STAFF

GREAT FORUMS FOR NETWORKING

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 8 - Vendor and Sports Management

PARTNERSHIPS—THE KEY TO SUCCESS

MEASURING PERFORMANCE

KNOWING WHEN TO OUTSOURCE

THE SECRET TO OUTSOURCING SUCCESS

INTEGRATING SPORTS TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND GROW YOUR NETWORK

HOW MUCH BUSINESS IS DONE OUT OF THE OFFICE?

THE VENDOR RESPONSE

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 9 - Contract Negotiation and Financial Management

CONTRACT NEGOTIATION TIPS AND BEST PRACTICES

SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENTS

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT—THINK LIKE A CFO AND ACT LIKE A CIO

BUDGETING AND FORECASTING—ALIGNING IT WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY

TOOLS TO MINIMIZE FINANCIAL RISK

MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE CFO

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 10 - Risk/Reward and Knowing When to Jump

RISK AND REWARD—NOTHING WAGERED, NOTHING GAINED

HOW TO MITIGATE RISKS AND STILL SUCCEED

COMMON MISTAKES MADE

WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO JUMP TO THE NEXT COMPANY

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

CHAPTER 11 - The Role of the CIO—Enabler and Visionary

EXPECTATIONS FOR NEW CIOS

THE TOP FIVE MISTAKES MOST OFTEN MADE BY CIOS

THE FIRST 100 DAYS—TIPS FROM WORLD-CLASS CIOS

CEO AND CIO COMMON GAPS IN EXPECTATIONS

WHAT DID I DO TO PREPARE?

RECOMMENDATIONS

ENDNOTES

Index

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Smith, Gregory S., 1963-

Straight to the top : becoming a world-class CIO / Gregory S. Smith.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-13: 978-0-471-74478-8 (cloth) ISBN-10: 0-471-74478-6 (cloth)

1. Chief information officers—Vocational guidance. 2. Information technology—Management—Vocational guidance. 3. Information resources management—Vocational guidance. I. Title: Becoming a world-class chief information officer. II. Title.

HD30.2.S629 2006

658.4’038—dc22

2006004007

To my family—Susanna, Anna, and Daniel—who have been wonderfully supportive and believe in me, regardless of what I attempt, and to Deborah Hechinger for making my first CIO experience exciting and challenging.

Preface

For the past five years, I have served as the vice president and chief information officer (CIO) of the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, DC. Prior to accepting my first CIO post and over the past decade, I have had the privilege of serving as a principal consultant for one of the most prestigious consulting firms in the world, as an IT director at a Fortune 200 financial services firm, and as an adjunct faculty member at a prestigious American university. Observations made and experiences gained over the past 20 years working in the information technology field have helped me to properly prepare for my first CIO role.

The role of the CIO in any organization is demanding and requires solid technical skills, business acumen, and exceptional communication skills to properly succeed. Preparing for the CIO role takes careful planning. Simply stated, this book is designed to help professionals aspiring to the role of the CIO to properly plan their career and give them guidance on the skills and knowledge that it takes to be a CIO today. Also, this book is designed to share with others my experience and planning that helped me land my first CIO role by the age of 37.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Straight to the Top: Becoming a World-Class CIO is targeted toward information technology and business professionals with aspirations of landing a senior management position in information technology or who desire to become a top IT resource in their organization. The book aims to communicate an effective road map and share experiences from leading CIO experts toward becoming a first-time CIO. Academic institutions that offer programs and degrees in information systems, computer science, and IT management and their faculty could benefit from this book by augmenting content in their courses to include real-world skills and a planning approach that can propel candidates to reach the upper echelon of technology management.

Tomorrow’s successful technology professionals and leaders will be power users of technology, have a strong grasp on technology topics, and will integrate and work closely with other business executives and staff. Straight to the Top cuts to the chase and describes the key skills and relationships necessary to become the CIO. Readers will also get a view from the executive recruiter’s perspective to see exactly what qualities, skills, and experiences quality search firms are seeking when searching for CIO candidates.

APPROACH

The information presented in this book along with recommendations come from a variety of sources: (1) advisory research and case studies, (2) interviews with a diverse range of CIO experts, (3) interviews with a variety of executive recruiting firms, (4) interviews with a select group of sales professionals, and (5) my own experiences in both planning for my first CIO role and serving as one in an internationally recognized conservation organization—the World Wildlife Fund. Expert CIOs surveyed for this book span a diverse group of organizations that include the following statistics and sectors:

• Average annual revenue of $1.3 billion, with the highest at $9.4 billion and the smallest at $40 million

• Industries/sectors: nonprofit, transportation, media, financial services, chemicals, legal, education, health care, real estate, construction, software services, and retail

• Geographical reach: 50 percent based in the domestic United States, 50 percent from international organizations

Part 1 focuses on the building blocks, including IT and communication skills needed to move up to midlevel technology management. Chapter 1 highlights the key skills that an aspiring CIO needs to have, such as networking fundamentals, application development and integration, database management systems, wireless technology, security, and Internet technologies. The importance of methodologies for technical and functional/ process improvement and change management best practices are discussed, as is the need to comprehend IT governance structures and standards. Part 1 also includes a discussion about the importance of understanding business users and their needs, and how to build effective relationships outside of the IT glass house. In conclusion, this section of the book discusses the need for superior communication skills and how to translate IT speak into business terms.

Part 2 builds on the fundamentals discussed in the first half of the book and hones in on the key skills and experiences that employers and search firms are looking for when hiring a CIO. Readers will learn what top executive recruiters are looking for when hiring for senior IT leadership positions and how to build the skills required. This section will also discuss the importance of developing the right network that includes both IT and non-IT colleagues and the importance of sharing information and best practices within that network. Readers will also get exposed to some key skills and strategies for managing vendors and contracts as well as how to use sports to mix business with pleasure to get what you want as the senior IT buyer and consumer of technical goods and services in an organization. Part 2 also addresses the need for acquiring the right financial management skills and how to think like a CFO and act like a CIO. Finally, the book will conclude with a discussion on how to properly balance risks and rewards while moving up the IT ladder and what to expect once a candidate lands his or her first CIO position.

Acknowledgements

Over the past 20 years, I’ve had wonderful opportunities to learn, grow, and apply IT best practices to businesses and their customers. A number of folks were instrumental in my development. I am grateful to Barbara Sada for taking the time early in my career to mentor me on the importance of solid communications skills and effective presentation delivery. I’ll never forget your advice; while seemingly simple, it is quite effective: speak about what you know, know your audience, take time to prepare, and don’t read from a script. I’d like to thank my friend Michael Sheehan for his knowledge and guidance in the area of legal counsel, negotiation skills, and contract preparation and management. He was instrumental in the development of my contract negotiation and vendor relationship management skills. There are also a couple of special executives that taught me more about how to be successful by their actions instead of their words. A special thanks to two real role models: Vida Durant and Deborah Hechinger.

Also, a special thanks goes out to Stan Wakefield, who introduced me to the publishing team at John Wiley & Sons. I’d also like to thank the wonderful folks at CIO magazine, especially the CIO Executive Council staff, with special recognition to Carrie Mathews, Karen Fogerty, and Mark Hall for their help, research, and encouragement. In addition, I’d like to recognize and thank the kind folks at eWeek, especially my friends Eric Lundquist and Debra Donston, who I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past decade on a variety of published articles and more recently as part of the eWeek Corporate Advisory Board.

Sound research is key to having a successful book. A special thanks to George Colony and the wonderful folks at Forrester Research Inc., which include Aaron Zarwan and contributing analysts, for providing me access to some of their vast research and trends database. I’d especially like to thank the expert CIOs who participated in the CIO survey and for their insight and recommendations that will likely help build the next generation of world-class CIOs. Another special thanks to all of the executive recruiting firms that gave great insight into what they and their customers are looking for in CIO candidates today. They include Martha Heller of the Z Resource Group, Katherine Graham of Heidrick & Struggles, Timothy Ward of the McCormick Group, Eric Sigurdson of Russell Reynolds Associates, and Beverly Lieberman of Halbrecht Lieberman Associates. I’d also like to thank Anne Topp from the World Wildlife Fund for her editorial review and feedback on the manuscript.

Special thanks also goes out to Bart Nagel for his creative photography and a really fun photo shoot. Also, in memory of Sondra Lundy Schaeffer, who encouraged me to be creative through publishing. She always shared my published works and articles with friends and was enthusiastic in her support. In closing, I’d like to pay special thanks to the wonderful folks at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., especially Timothy Burgard for his efforts in making this book a world-class publication. I’d also like to thank Sandy for those late night conversations when I was writing this text. Last, but not least, I’d like to thank my parents for their encouragement and support to invent and succeed. Dad, I wouldn’t be where I am today if you hadn’t convinced me to take up computer science in the early 1980s.

PART ONE

Building the Necessary Skills and Relationships

CHAPTER 1

Key IT Skills to Have

Life is like a dog-sled team. If you ain’t the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

—LEWIS GRIZZARD1

Before I jump into a discussion on why technology skills matter for technology executives today, I thought that it would be helpful to first clarify the difference between a chief information officer (CIO) and a chief technology officer (CTO) and provide a summary of both the recent evolution of the CIO role and the current state of the CIO profession.

THE CIO AND THE CTO—WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

In general, the CIO is responsible for managing the information technology and investments that effectively align the use of technology with the goals of the business. Today, the CIO is a key executive in most organizations with oversight of the IT infrastructure, messaging systems, information assets, database repositories, and policies and procedures that ensure that the systems and information within are reliable, available, secure, and effective. The CTO, in contrast, has evolved as a right-hand technical executive, usually reporting directly to the CIO with oversight of designing and implementing complex technical solutions in support of the CIO’s strategies and direction. The CTO is usually more concerned with how to implement complex solutions or products, is typically technically savvy, and is less experienced with dealing directly with the business units. In the late 1990s, the CTO title was the buzz among IT recruiters and CEOs. There were even mild predictions that the CTO role would rise up and become the lead IT executive position and cause the demise of the CIO as the shift toward a strategic focus for CIOs left a technical void at many organizations during the Internet boom. An executive search firm described the difference between the two CXO positions: “The CIO is 99.9 percent leadership, applying technology to solve business problems. The CTO focuses on technology more than strategy and vision.” Thus, the CTO to the rescue! According to a senior technology practice leader at Korn Ferry, the majority of IT executive job searches being conducted in May of 2000 were for a CTO with the majority of positions in startups and dot-coms.