Perspective: Getting CIO and CEO to see eye to eye

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How about innovation? Obviously the CIO is always working on systems innovation--that's part of keeping the engines running smoothly. But when it comes to business innovation, he is again not the proactive driver, but rather the steady partner with business executives who are chartered to lead business innovation.

Here's the key: For business executives to effectively drive process change and innovation, they must have a solid understanding of technology. They must be, to coin a term, technology-knowledgeable businesspeople (TKBPs) able to adeptly bring the potential of technology to bear on business change. The goal is to field vice presidents of marketing, executive VPs of strategy, and presidents of divisions who know how to apply technology to get the company to achieve its goals. The CIO must be in the business of educating and teaching the businesspeople so that they can make the leap. IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient), must be joined by TQ (technology quotient). And teaching TQ is the province of the chief information officer.

If that happens, chief executives' satisfaction with CIOs will head into the 70 percent and 80 percent range--where it belongs. And boards of directors will come to praise the chief information officer if that person can work to develop a TKCEO--a technology-knowledgeable CEO. And that's when the odd couple will see eye to eye--to the benefit of the organization and shareholders.

Biography
George Colony is chairman and chief executive officer of Forrester Research.

More Perspectives

[jd1023948]

In my extensive experience...

The CIO's office, and the IT department, spend a lot of time dictating to the enterprise what they can and can't do, and very little time actually facilitating business processes. Corporate America needs to restructure its chain of command to change that.

[debll]

IT & the CIO are more interested

in protecting their system from pesky users than in being innovative. You know why CEOs don't approve of IT? Because IT has made the use of technology an obstacle to productivity instead of an aid to it. There are so many rules and regulations and hoops to jump through for the average staff member that they spend more time trying to navigate the technology than serving the bottom line. Requests for new software or innovation or updates are met with "No, that would be a security issue". And CIOs talk down to everyone about technology and like to keep everyone in the dark, so no one can challenge their kingdoms.