You’ve got the right technical background. Your career has been appropriately progressive. You subscribe to the right blogs; have the right books on your desk. Next stop — the CIO’s office just under the hot water pipes. Here are some things you probably won’t hear at those golf boondoggles disguised as CIO leadership seminars.
1. Learn to Write
As you rise in the ranks, you will use the written word for most of your communication (especially with executives and your boss). Could be email; could be a report; could be a memo. Take my word for it, the quality of your writing leaves behind a strong impression. You don’t need to be Shakespeare, but you do need to know some basics, like complete sentences; subject and verb agreement; capitalization; and knowing how to use spell check, to name but a few. If the thought of writing an entire paragraph gives you the DTs, seriously consider reading William Zinsser’s On Writing Well.
2. Talk Straight
Nix the Consultant-ese. Tap dancing around questions by answering with non-words makes you look like a dope, a liar, or both. If at all possible, talk like a human being. Don’t use big words unless you know what they mean. It’s really OK to say, ‘I don’t know’ or, ‘I can’t answer that right now’ — but not too often. Here are some gotchas to avoid:
a) Using ‘strategic’ as an adjective for everything
b) And by the way, never ever say ‘strategic slippage.’
c) “I just want to do the right thing.” Avoid this cliché like the plague. Understand that if you ever hear anyone else say it to you, they are about to ask for money from your budget.
d) Partnering. This is not a viable concept unless all parties share tangible risk. And just for the record, it’s not a real word.
e) “No changes required. We’ll make the systems work the way you do.” Not possible — no how, no way. If you say it, it will come back to bite you big time.
3. Understand Governance
Governance is not a committee or a council. Governance is the process of making a decision. A CIO must understand how to use the four components of governance: scope, who makes the decision, who has input, and how is enforcement carried out. I know it sounds like heresy, but a CIO must also understand when governance is ill-advised.
4. Learn How Accounting and Budgeting Work
Understand accrual accounting. Learn about fund accounting if you work at a government agency or non-profit. If you don’t know about depreciation, net present value, or amortization — bone up on these, pronto.
5. Embrace Office Politics
Sleazy office gossip? Gasp! Well, maybe a little, but consider this. Your projects will always require someone to give up something. Much of your efforts will be spent brokering compromise. To succeed, you will need to know about the players’ biases and priorities; about their beliefs and goals; about their ambitions. These things are difficult to suss out in starchy meetings. Think shuttle diplomacy. Socialize. Learn to listen. Watch. Don’t eat lunch alone. Go have a beer with <fill in the blank>.
And more one: Create Friction
(I despise analogies, but I need one now. Sorry.)
A moving car tire creates friction — it’s physics. Your job as CIO is to help move your organization forward, and like the tire, moving forward means you must create friction. Ergo, someone should always be pissed at you. Your staff may be continually upset because you commit to action without consulting them. Colleagues will be miffed because they are not getting the technologies they want.
If you find this disconcerting, look for another line of work. Keep the car tire analogy foremost in your mind. Know that the moving tire creates as much friction going backwards as it does going forwards, so you may as well move forward. Whatever you do, don’t stand still. If everyone likes you, you’re doomed.
[This piece was originally published on Kirk Kirksey’s blog, False Dilemma. To view the original post, click here.]
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