“Thanks, IT! Customers are loving the app.” “Great job, IT. Customers have never been happier.” “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
If these quotes sound like fiction, they probably are. They are in the bottom-left quadrant of an infographic recently published by Red Hat in association with Harvard Business Review that looks at what the CIOs are doing in innovative companies that make them successful. If such work provoked even one of those comments, I’m sure almost anyone in IT leadership would be quick to sign up.
Unfortunately there’s not a lot that’s new here — experts have been telling CIOs for years that they need to become business strategists or work with cross-functional teams. I’d go so far as to say that those who aren’t doing these things are probably already out of a job.
What I’d love to see instead is some research or an infographic about successful CIOs who work in what are considered “non-innovative companies” — the staid, conservative or IT-adverse firms that nonetheless manage to grow market share, increase customer satisfaction and boost employee engagement through the quiet but effective use of technology.
See the full infographic for yourself. Am I being too harsh or is there not much new here? Answer in the comments!
