Three crucial stages for a newly appointed Chief Information Officer: Entry, Stabilization, and Renewal.
Going Through the Phases: Navigating the Life of a Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Take a dive into the world of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) as they journey through three main phases: entry, stabilization, and renewal.
These findings come from research conducted by Tony Gerth of Indiana University and Joe Peppard of Cranfield University. They interviewed 21 CIOs to better understand their experiences in leading their respective organizations.
The Entry Phase: Getting to Know the Biz
During the initial six months, CIOs spend their time getting acquainted with the business and the priorities of the upper management team. This is accomplished through interviews with both IT and non-IT executives, as well as observation of the organization's workings. Remarkably, CIOs rarely make significant changes during this phase.
One might say, "If you wanna win your team over, ain't no better way than helping 'em knock out their top problems." As one CIO put it, they attacked the top pain points in every department, leaving impressed colleagues in their wake.
The Stabilization Phase: Building Credibility
Immediately following the entry phase, the stabilization phase begins. This phase concentrates on the supply side of the IT-business equation, ensuring the IT department meets expectations.
The main objectives for this phase include fortifying IT governance practices, upgrading IT management, and boosting credibility as an IT leader. Addressing low-hanging fruit in the early stages can be a quick win, helping establish a new CIO's reputation.
The Renewal Phase: Driving Business Transformation
After about a year, a CIO gains credibility and has the necessary tools to initiate the renewal phase. This phase focuses on the demand side of the IT-business equation, with the aim of aiding the business in understanding the potential of IT and how it can help achieve its objectives.
To achieve this, it's essential to improve the IT knowledge of top management – something that tends to be lacking, the interviewed CIOs revealed. Building relationships with peers who are open to IT as a means to accomplish business goals may yield successful results.
The renewal phase doesn't stop at the one-year mark; instead, it continues to the first two years, ultimately aiming to establish the CIO as a respected business leader, not just the head of the IT department.
Intriguingly, Gerth and Peppard's research found that these phases follow a similar pattern regardless of whether the CIO came from within the organization or was an outsider hire. However, the company's specific situation can impact the three phases, with CIOs hired to turn around underperforming IT departments needing to expedite their progress through the initial phases.
In conclusion, this research provides a valuable foundation for newly-appointed CIOs to plan their transition into the role, with future research looking to incorporate feedback from other executives to reinforce this three-phase model.
In the initial phase of their role, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) focus on understanding the business and the priorities of the management team by addressing top pain points in every department, thereby gaining the trust and support of their colleagues (The Entry Phase). As they move into the stabilization phase, CIOs work towards strengthening their credibility as IT leaders by upgrading IT management, fortifying IT governance practices, and securing a reputation through addressing quick wins (The Stabilization Phase). During the renewal phase, which lasts approximately two years, CIOs drive business transformation by improving the IT knowledge of top management and building relationships with peers who support IT as a means to achieve business goals (The Renewal Phase). This research suggests that these phases are consistently followed, regardless of whether the CIO is an internal or an external hire, although company-specific situations may necessitate an accelerated progression for those taking on underperforming IT departments.
