IT EXECUTIVES - HEAD CHEF TO WAITER IN 60 SECONDS...Vol 7 rel 3

A recent MIT Technology Review reported an observation that has long existed, but no one brought to light.  Basically, the premise is this, Technology Leaders (CIO, Directors, Managers, etc.) have long since stood out, and at times, apart from the other discipline leaders by their superior understanding of technology, driven by a strict command and control operational model.  However, with the advent of technology’s progress exceeding the rate of absorption, Tech Leaders finds themselves standing with the rest of the executives trying to keep up.

With Mobile access, cloud services, consumable software as a service, the function of IT ownership suffered the imbalance of power as the Technology became readily accessible to the Technology Leader's primary customers.

Subsequently, Business disciplines didn't have to wait for IT to ferret out which technology is best for their organization.  With readily accessible technology solutions, they could move more freely beyond the enterprise, and with their independent budgets and varied business needs, they decidedly moved beyond the IT queue and relied more on consumable technology.  As a result, at IT's expense, the technology market has seen growth in orders of magnitude. In fact, in cloud services alone, it is projected to be a $178 billion dollar industry this year, along with an annual growth rate, per Forrester, of 22%.

With this scenario in motion, IT executives exacerbated the situation by focusing more on operational issues, such as cost management, process improvement, and system uptime.  Basically, facilitating business transformation as opposed to driving it.  In short, from Head Chef to Waiter in just two years.

Arguably, one could see this as the technology leader suffering from the consequences of their own success, i.e., pushing the emphasis of network computing, internet computing, and the overall importance of technology infused in a successful business model.  However, that’s great if you want to dust off your resume.

Today’s businesses need innovators, the Elon Musk’s of technology, not the Status Quo Managers.  It’s no secret that Technology is the driving force behind a whole array of business parameters, i.e., customer interactions, competitive advantages, and enlightened decision-making.  With IT centrally situated, technology leaders find themselves uniquely positioned the take the wheel to steer technology’s next role in boosting business innovation.  In fact, many IT Leaders have done just that, Per Gartner 2017 survey, 84% of the top CIOs (respondents) now have responsibility outside the realm of IT.  Specifically, in areas of innovation and transformation.  This places them in the center of digital transformation.

Like the programming development model, “Rapid”, the IT leader finds themselves needing to make big changes and fast, or decidedly perish with the aged IT method of slow and sequential.  This may be difficult for some to say the least, and for others impossible.  Nevertheless, a change of mindset needs to shift from waiter back to Head Chef, or at least Sous Chef.  Keep waiting and your end up out the door parking cars.

ENABLER TO VISIONARY

Let’s face it, the days of troubleshooting routers and ordering servers are rapidly becoming the help desk’s role.  IT Executives have to stop being harbingers of the past, but visionaries for the future, delegate roles of upkeep to subordinates and focus on the business challenges of the future.  Stop empire building and join the rest of the business disciplines in trying to be more efficient, less expensive, and secure and compliant.

STEPS TO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

I.         Re-integrate technology to the core of the business.

Before assuming an expanded role, CIOs need to modernize the IT function’s architecture, driving down costs by outsourcing non-critical functions as well as reducing traditional software licensing models that can lead to costly maintenance issues. They also need to establish quality leadership that focuses on operational discipline and helps them better understand the business.

II.        Indoctrinate education to fine tune your technology knowledge

This more than reading magazines – get off your fanny and go to a conference and take courses in the latest technology – even if it’s not congruent with your current expertise, odds are you will be governing it later in your organization, so best know what you’re talking about.

III.       Become the Digital Ambassador to the Executives

In a Paper, "Survival through Digital Leadership" by Deloitte, they suggest that digital transformation must be guided by a digital leader.  In an ideal world, this would be the CEO; however, due to the other 900 responsibilities, this would be a mistake.  In most cases, a digital leader must be employed to provide a digital vision, give guidance to the team and involve them actively in the transformation process.

The origins of the digital leader may differ from industry to industry; however, for those not able to immediately define, advertise, screen, hire, and train an new Chief Digital Officer, this can be you in the interim.  By lending yourself out to the other business practices you may discover that their needs may change the course of the Technology choices being made on a general scale.

Deloitte identifies organizational circumstances that may drive the need of a new Chief Digital Officer:

• Insufficient cross-operational and functional collaboration to create digital resources and solutions
• Formal and strict functional lines, with clear and non-overlapping responsibilities
• Fragmented customer experience, products and channels
• Silo-thinking and lack of an overall vision and mission for the company     

CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER

that As the world-class “shut-in” IT Executive model rapidly sublimates, IT leaders now need to devote more time and effort outside the realm of IT and in other organizations to understand and identify the opportunities that may reside there to assist improving their mousetrap.  As the Chief Digital Officer embraces their roles, see below, the more the organization can start exploiting the oppportunities these digital changes can provided.  The theme of the Chief Digital Officer, “This is how Technology will change the game for us.” 

That being said, the position of the CDO may only be a transitional one, he/she is primarily charted to transform the company into the digital age.  Upon completion, the role of the CDO will change to a wide range of opportunities afforded by the transformation.  So, how do you know when you have succeeded in this role, i.e., when are you "transformed"?

Per Deloitte,

Now just know - the big boys are already on this, e.g., Toyota, Marriott, Starbucks, Nestle, Tesco, and L’Oréal just to name a few.  Surprisingly, only 30% of Deloitte's analyzed companies fulfill these success factors designated above and 70% of those companies fulfilling these success factors have a CDO in place to drive the transformation.

IN CONCLUSION

Those companies that expect to successfully embrace the digital age will empower their digital leader with the necessary control mechanisms.  Now, even though CMO, CTO, CIO or COO are all excellent candidates for this position, the 70% realized that the job cannot be effectively done by sharing their current duties; hence, the day to day must be left to someone else to succeed.  Deloitte's advice, become active, define your digital strategy, assign an aspiring and inspiring leader and empower them to make the changes required to embody what needs to be done to make your organization a part of the digital transformation.  They also add, now is the time for CEO's to decide if they will just survive, flourish, or become the next Kodak.

So, there it is - select / hire your dedicated evangelist to lead you through which is probably the most dramatic change of how you do business in this new millennia.

___________________________________________

We would like to thank our sponsors, for without them - our fine content wouldn't be deliverable!

Rick's Cafe' American

____________________________________________

Source(s)

• https://www.cio.com/article/3243044/digital-transformation/digital-disruption-10-ways-to-survive-and-thrive.html
• https://www.cio.com/article/3222704/digital-transformation/not-every-business-will-survive-a-digital-transformation.html
• https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.technologyreview.com/whitepapers/MITTR_NorthHighland_CIO_Digital_Exec_Brief.pdf
• https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/de/Documents/technology/Survival%20through%20Digital%20Leadership_safe.pdf

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

____________________________________________________________

About Rick Ricker

An IT professional with over 23 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

For more information, contact Rick at (800) 399-6085 x502