You might be a “CIO Luddite”

As a follow-up to my previous blog on “Long live the new CIO” and borrowing on Jeff Foxworthy’s comedy routine theme of “you might be a redneck if…” Here are some lighthearted attempts to define “CIO Luddites” in the world of the “new CIO.”

So, the top 10 reasons you might be a CIO Luddite are:

1. If you think that “cloud computing” is actually in the sky
2. If you haven’t figured out that “big data” is about more than just lots of data
3. If your major apps are all still mainframe and green screen based
4. If you are attempting to define your digital transformation strategy in isolation of your business peers
5. If you are still trying to strictly control “shadow IT” and not getting any further ahead
6. If you still haven’t got a “seat at the table”
7. If you haven’t leveraged strategic supplier relationships to advance your plans
8. If you believe that CIO actually stands for “career is over” and that is a good thing
9. If you are not current on the latest trends and directions within your industry
10. If you are not actively engaged in networking to advance your career

Don’t be a “CIO Luddite,” instead aspire to be a “new CIO” which means:

1. Working with customers, peers, subordinates and strategic suppliers to constantly find new ways to improve both organizational effectiveness and efficiency through digital transformation
2. Letting go of traditional ways of doing business and being open to new possibilities by challenging the status quo
3. Building organizational structures and third party relationships that facilitate executive leadership accountability for IT operations and service levels without the need or your direct involvement so that you focus your time and attention on higher value producing activities
4. Communicating in the language of the business and not “techno speak”
5. Being current on the latest trends and directions in their industries and having an awareness of external threats and opportunities
6. Being comfortable in dealing with the ever-increasing complexity of technology infrastructures and the related regulatory and legal requirements while also being able to simplify and focus on the essence of any issue
7. Understanding that positive and productive user experiences, and appropriate data and security measures are given in today’s world
8. Being able to operate in an agile and flexible environment, but also understanding that structure and processes are necessary to ensure consistent quality and predictable results
9. Not forgetting the lessons from the past and being able to build bridges between the past, present and future
10. Being an active and contributing member of a professional association for CIOs (i.e. CIOCAN) for the benefit of your organization, the overall industry and your career

Long live the “new CIO”! You can learn more at the upcoming CIO Association of Canada’s annual CIO Peer Forum on April 20th and 21st at the Allstream Centre in Toronto which is based on the theme of: Rise to the challenge…someone will. I hope to see you there.