Put Your Strengths to Work for CIOs

“Why CIOs Are Last Among Equals.” This provocative headline and article appeared in the May 24 issue of Wall Street Journal, published in collaboration with the MIT Sloan Management Review.

The three authors, all associated with Santa Clara University, run a development program run for IT executives. In the article, the authors describe the limitations of the many CIOs and other IT professionals who have participated in their program. The authors also note that very few CIOs have become CEOs, especially outside of the high-tech industry.

What’s holding CIOs back? The authors cite a litany of missing or underdeveloped skills. These include leadership, strategic thinking, synthesis skills, communication skills, influence skills, and relationship building.

Not surprisingly, the authors advise extensive educational programs as the way to remedy this problem.

In the interim, though, many CIOs could benefit by working closely with communication professionals. Their weaknesses are often our strengths.

For example, consider synthesis. According to the authors, IT managers often struggle to pull together disparate information to solve a problem or achieve a business goal. They tend to jump to conclusions without carefully assessing the data provided. Or they neglect to ask probing, open-ended questions of others to get more information and piece everything together to clarify the problem and solve it. As Ian Mitroff describes it, they fall into the trap of “solving the wrong problem precisely.”

In my experience of working with IT executives, there’s also another challenge with synthesis. They often prefer to swim in oceans of data rather than boil it down to a meaningful message that will resonate with others.

For instance, after six months of working with a leading strategy consultant, the IT function of a Fortune 500 company had 35 different PowerPoint presentations, each averaging about 42 pages, but no simple statement that described their strategy.

The 1,470 plus pages had created a modern day office version of the “blind men and the elephant.” Whichever pages the IT leaders touched gave them a different interpretation of what their new IT strategy was. As a result, none of the IT leaders could clearly and consistently articulate what they were committing themselves—and the organization—to do the next fiscal year.

By using our good questioning, listening, and writing skills, we can help IT executives first get to the root of the problem or issue. We then can summarize the issue succinctly, putting it in context and linking it to the company strategy. Last but not least, we can develop a compelling story to share with others.  (For example, I converted the 1,470 plus pages into a one-page story.)

We also can help IT executives build trust inside and outside their organization, especially emphasizing the importance of making sure they’re talking their walk.

Even if you work with a CIO who is content with in the role, you can help this executive be clearer, more confident, and trusted.

Liz Guthridge is a consultant, author, and trainer specializing in strategic change communications. Department leaders of Fortune 1000 companies hire Liz and her firm Connect Consulting Group LLC when they need their people—who are confused, angry or in denial—to adopt complex new initiatives so they can quickly change the way they work. For more information, contact Liz, liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com or 510-527-1213. Follow Liz on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/lizguthridge.