Ten years ago I wrote a paper headlining the fact that few
organisations had IT representation at main board level. At that
time, however, the trend was on the increase as organisations
realised the strategic potential of IT. Today I am again writing
the same thing - the upward trend was short lived.
The problem
Many organisations put their toe in the water once or twice, but
subsequently place appointees back beneath the board and reporting
to it. The question is why? Perhaps the answer lies in the
following research.
The board
A number of boards of directors across a range of industry
sectors were asked three core questions:
1 How important do you believe IT is to the future of your
business?
• 94% answered "exceedingly"
2 How highly do you rate your own IT function?
• 46% said "not very highly"
• 32% said "they are OK at the technical stuff"
3. Is your most senior IT person considered to be a member of
the "inner sanctum"?
• 98% said "no".
We appear to have a dichotomy, whereby boards recognise the
significance and potential of IT, but don't rate their own IT
leadership. When asked to elaborate, comments included:
• "Most IT directors focus solely on the next gadget or next
'big thing' in technology and how it will revolutionise operations
- board members are simply not interested"
• "IT leaders take huge risks by not embracing change and not
doing anything"
• "IT Directors spend too much time managing downwards and
focusing on day-to-day operational issues"
The solution
To put things into context consider the role of an IT function
as a "Maslow" type hierarchy of deliverables.
At the base level we have service delivery. This is about
getting the basics right, "keeping the lights on", and delivering a
reliable, responsive, robust service that addresses and serves the
day-to-day needs of the business. This is your "licence to exist"
as an IT director and if you can't get this right, the word
"outsourcing" will certainly be on the lips of your business
colleagues.
The next level, project delivery, is about responding to the
future needs of the business by undertaking new work and delivering
projects on time, to specification and within budget. This is your
opportunity to show what you can do, gain credibility and begin to
have a voice within the business context. Operating at this level
is your "licence to thrive".
Having mastered the two base levels you will have won the right
to "contribute to business thinking". When you are operating at
this level you will be working with your business colleagues to
deliver real business benefits. Questions like "are we getting
value for money from our IT function?" will have faded into the
distant past and SLA's will be gathering dust in some forgotten
archive. At this level the business trusts and believes in you -
proof and evidence are not required. This is your "licence to
influence".
At the very top of the pyramid, "transforming business
thinking", you will have entered that elusive "inner sanctum". You
will be part of that small team shaping the future direction of you
organisation.
You will be au fait with future technological trends the
sociological and political implications of technology the future
trends of your industry sector and business in general. You will be
injecting those nuggets of wisdom and generating those ideas that
will transform your business. At this level you have achieved your
"licence to decide".
But remember if you haven't got the technology sorted, can't
deliver to promise and haven't built effective relationships with
your peer group you will never get the opportunity to voice your
ideas or words of wisdom even if they are the greatest in the
world. "Being right" is not enough!
Key messages
• Sort out your service and project delivery. Recruit first-rate
people beneath you who are team players then delegate and let
go
• Nurture and reward talent. Exercise consideration, compassion
and sensitivity in your dealings with people and hence engender
trust and loyalty
• Win friends and influence people build relationships upwards,
downward and sidewards. Build trust and respect generate goodwill
and take the opportunity to learn from this diverse network
• Develop your business knowledge and political acumen. Learn
the art of influencing, make yourself useful and get yourself
noticed. Be passionate and inspirational
• Take an interest in the wider world. Have an opinion and
contribution to make in relation to every item on the board agenda
and demonstrate original "out of the box" thinking
• Don't wait to be told what to do take the initiative and be
prepared to make "bold" decisions based on your heart and your gut
instinct. Have the courage to challenge authority and accepted
wisdom. Remember, it is better to ask for forgiveness that to seek
permission
• Ultimately, become one of the new generation of Chief
Transformation Officers who have the ability to give their
organisations a competitive edge and to become role models who help
others follow in their footsteps
The above will require three essential ingredients: a high IQ,
emotional intelligence (EQ) and the will to do it. Most IT leaders
have an abundance of IQ so providing you have the will, the
deciding factor will be your EQ. As one of the CEO's in my research
put it "it all depends upon the size of your right brain!". ●
Robina Chatham is managing director of Robina Chatham Ltd and
visiting fellow at Cranfield School of
Managementwww.chatham.uk.com