A CIO’s 7 new year’s resolutions

A new year brings new challenges and exciting opportunities. I can’t wait to begin. But, before I rush headlong into the challenges of the coming year, I’m taking some time to consider how our IT department can help our organization better reach our goals and be successful in 2015.

Here are my New Year’s resolutions for 2015:

1. Listen. Really listen. Try to understand, in as much detail as I can, the goals and aspirations of our business partners and stakeholders. Try also to understand the ideas and opinions of my leadership team and team members. It is only in understanding that I can help come up with good solid actions.

2. Protect. The Sony data breach has me very worried. So do the data breaches at Target, Michaels, Home Depot and JPMorgan Chase. And these are just the ones we’ve heard about.  Clearly, each of these organizations has a large infosec budget, but were not able to sufficiently protect their clients’ data. This is the year to redouble efforts to protect our organization’s data.

3. Acknowledge. IT work is difficult. Very difficult sometimes. I resolve to acknowledge, in a meaningful way, those who come up with the brilliant ideas and those who implement those ideas. And, to acknowledge our team members who make miracles happen.

4. Transparent. I resolve to keep my clients informed, in a timely manner, when bad things happen. To be open and honest with them, and to come clean when we messed up.

5. Mobile. This is the year to consider to a greater extent, the use of mobile technologies to support our business. So many opportunities. Time to capitalize on them.

6. Cloud. This is the year to really engage with Cloud services to help our organization advance and to possibly save some money. Storage, software, platform. So many possibilities.

7. Be Bold. Be willing to suspend the tried-and-true and take some chances. Going out on a limb to try new technologies and methodologies. Take a few moon-shots for huge gains.

Oh, yes, and to enjoy every moment of having the best job in the company!

P.S. Thank you for reading my post. If you have have resolutions to add to the list, I’d be grateful if you included them in the comment section below.

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada
Stephen Abraham
Stephen Abraham
Stephen Abraham is the CIO and IT Director for the Medical Council of Canada, the organization that issues Licenciates for Physicians practicing medicine in Canada. Mr. Abraham has been a CIO for a decade. He has made many mistakes during his 30 years in IT, and has learned a few things along the way.

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