Are CIOs into business benefit? Do they have a vision for the overall IT implementation as a business asset?
No, says Susan Cramm in her Harvard Business Review blog. She admits that she didn't do a formal survey, but I think this is just an extension of the CIO's 80/20 or 90/10 problem. That is, 80% or more of the IT budget is spent on keeping the lights on and the doors open, leaving 20% or less for strategic problems.
CIOs focus on email because (a) it's within their area of experience, and (b) the perception is that it's a major part of their job.
Here's the rub: UNTIL we stop seeing technology as an end and start seeing it as a tool, we won't get rid of this problem.
To quote the Cram blog:
"...most CIOs don't have the broad business understanding, strategic vision and interpersonal skills that it takes to run a company or at least play a bigger role in running one."
Really?
I hope she's wrong. I suspect she's right.
Is The Typical CIO a "Gear Guy?" - Susan Cramm - Harvard Business Review
