The Evolving Role of the CIO

Dr. Alan Shark rewrites the book on today’s technology executive.

When Dr. Alan Shark, D.P.A. speaks about the emerging role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in today’s public and private arena, he does so with a passion that embraces both theory and practice. The Public Technology Institute’s Executive Director/CEO and Assistant Professor at Rutgers University’s School of Public Affairs and Administration knows firsthand what it takes to be successful in a dynamic and challenging industry – complete with rising and changing expectations.

As author of the new book, CIO Leadership for Cities and Counties, Emerging Trends and Practices, Dr. Shark interviewed more than 300 technology executives, including Larry Chase, director of enterprise resiliency for Motorola Information Protection Services. Dr. Shark defines the landscape in which, “technology solutions are no longer a luxury for local governments, as they must continually seek ways to satisfy their customers/citizens, just as private companies struggle with much the same challenges.”

Whether you use the title CIO, CTO or even Chief Strategy Officer, the role encompasses much more than just being a watchdog of the organization’s information network. As an example, the CIO is becoming one of the most important key positions in local government, and all bets are on that it will continue to grow in stature and strategic importance. “We need to have a better appreciation for the changing nature and important contribution that the CIO makes every day,” explains Dr. Shark. It is a profession on the move and the chief information officer needs to serve as the communication conduit and bridge across all areas of the organization, be it public or private.

According to Dr. Shark, the CIO now has to wear four suits, the new CIO has to be a leader not a dictator, a technologist – not a technician, a business person – not an accountant, and finally, a diplomat – not a politician.

Leader: who leads with vision, knowledge, and team-building.

Technologist: Moving beyond the focus of protecting the information system and data, you need to have a vision about the uses of technology.

Diplomat: As a member of the senior leadership team and much like a politician, but tells people what they need to know – not what they want to hear. Today’s CIO must be able to work with the different constituencies in the government or organization, and be a successful “change agent.”

Business Person: Able to manage people and operations, the CIO must provide a relatively flawless and consistent level of systems performance. As opposed to accounting one must be better equipped to understand finance and to be able to articulate technology applications and acquisitions based on sound business practices.

A successful CIO should possess skills in each of these areas, even if she/she has others on the staff with greater skills in any of the areas. In the past it was enough to just “guard” the information network, but now the CIO has to worry about security and how the technology connects with other components of the entire system. And when it comes to recommending new ideas, you need to rationalize “why” it needs to be done and not just “how.”

“We have experienced rather dramatic changes in the last five years including a convergence of different technologies from data to voice to video,” says Dr. Shark. “It’s no longer enough just to say the new technology is ‘cool,’ but now it is necessary to back it up with ROI reports.”

To be a successful CIO, today’s technology leader must be multi-lingual, but not in the traditional sense as Dr. Shark explains. “It’s important to understand the technology jargon, yet be able to converse with peers in other areas of the organization.” You don’t want to get so involved with providing IT and developing information systems that you forget to communicate. The CIO must devote a good deal of time to communicating, informing, reminding, encouraging, cautioning, and even cajoling.

When it comes to the relationship of CIOs with IT vendors, Dr. Shark compares the technology executive to a chef, “IT managers deliver the steak after the vendors sell the sizzle.” Having the right ingredients to deliver a quality IT system begins with having a good relationship with your vendors. In developing such a partnership, the CIO needs to select a vendor for all the right reasons, and not just basing decisions on cost/budget. What’s more important is choosing a vendor that will do the best job to create a quality system.

As a vendor, listening skills need to be a focus when coming to the table with today’s CIO. In fact, according to Dr. Shark, the number one complaint we hear from CIOs is not listening first before they say, “I can solve your problems.” IT vendors should plan to spend two-thirds of their time with the CIO first listening and giving the executive the opportunity to share the organization’s achievements to date. Dr. Shark reminds IT vendors to understand the enterprise first, before working to deliver the best solution.

For the CIO, the best technology usage model is one where the technology is so naturally a part of the environment, and an extension of the user’s motivations, that its usage becomes “second nature.” At the same time, technology must fit into a larger plan and provide the backbone of operational flexibility. The CIO is in charge of making sure technology is a support function in other areas and working to improve efficiencies.

As Motorolan Larry Chase helps to point out in chapter 13 of Dr. Shark’s book, all the technology in the world cannot solve a problem that has not been identified and understood at the levels of daily business, strategic preparation and tactical operations. It’s important to line up the processes in an organization and see where improvements are needed. The CIO needs to analyze the risks, establish the priorities and determine where the interdependencies are. And through it all, today’s leader must move from linear thinking to practice systems thinking.

Today’s CIO should:

• Steward the system, rather than control it;

• Clarify and align the actions of individual employees and teams;

• Redirect their work time from trivial and ritual task-oriented actions to strategic leadership;

• Foster creative freedom within explicit boundaries;

• Support learning for themselves and their team members; and

• Guarantee accountability.

As the role of the CIO continues to evolve in both the public and private sector, Dr. Shark is clear on one thing. “The days of the super leader are gone. Be the best hero by making others heroes.”