The Hindu : Business : Tips for IT CIOs to perform better

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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
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Tips for IT CIOs to perform better

Special Correspondent

Gartner study lists newer strategies to beat the crisis

Lower budgets should help
Newer technologies can be nurtured

CHENNAI: In 2009, most chief executive officers and businesses will put themselves on a survival path while they reinvest for strategic recovery in 2010 and beyond, says Gartner in a recent study on “Gartner’s 10 Chief Information Officers’ (CIO) resolutions for 2009.” Gartner has designed this report to help CIOs excel and deliver better personal and team outcomes beyond their core IT agenda.

It points out that the main aim of the businesses will be to unfold the economic crisis of late 2008, since the industry was facing a daunting and uncertain year ahead. Many CIOs have already been instructed to operate with lower budgets and many more expect such instructions.

It says that chief executives need to cut short-term costs quickly to cope with volatile market sentiment in many industries and countries, but without damaging recovery growth prospects. In times of recession, organisations have more time for introspection that identifies what the deep needs are and also creates demand on what IT can do. It also brings the opportunity for businesses to exploit the technology they currently have to create something new.

Four themes

It has formulated all the ten resolutions for 2009 into four strategic themes. The first theme talks about reinforcing enduring strengths and assets. For which it wanted the CIO to start building an alumni network to maintain legacy skills and complex experienced pools of labour. CIOs should design and adopt two or three key behaviours to match the required direction they want their reports to follow such as turning away their option to upgrade to the glitziest new smartphone. Start scouting for key talents.

The second theme deals with preparation for the next change, sooner than one can think. For which it should start preparing for the unexpected challenges. CIOs need to start visibly using social networks themselves to kick-start their participation from other staff — lurking in quiet observation is not enough.

The third theme should look into the survival in 2009 without collateral damage. It should not ignore people. CIOs should not lay off the people as they will need them in long-term and who will be hard to replace just because their work is not an immediate deliverable. It should stop fearing the future. The last theme will be to have newer technologies to get experience.

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