If Chanakya was your CIO....
In a fast changing world, where Information technology is the force behind the change and newer IT driven business models are mushrooming, the traditional CIO needs a makeover. Whenever a new order has to be established, one person comes to my mind - Chanakya - the teacher, the philosopher, the economist, the jurist and the advisor.
Imagine Chanakya donning the role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in this dynamic VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) world - I am sure he would have made the following declarations to bring in some sanity to the VUCA world
Declaration : 1
Don't call your self an IT function if you are not thinking Digital Transformation else fade away and remain as traditional EDP or MIS function.
IT as a function needs to stand more for Intelligent Transformation. The opportunities thrown up today can puts IT in the drivers seat . Jump into the wagon else be left behind
Declaration : 2
Don't be servile to your business ! Be partners if you want to transform the business.
There has to be equality in business IT- relationship. The days of IT being framed as a service or support function are numbered or may be over. Collaborate and co-create with business teams. IT is moving fast from being a business enabler to business transformer to business disruptor.
Declaration : 3
Don't be a uni-dimensional. You will need to be a Ferocious Bear (to protect core capabilities and its security), a Smart Fox (to manage the business stakeholders) and a Agile Horse (to driving IT let innovations or operations)
The CIO needs to don various hats (or furs ). Core transaction systems needs to be fiercely protected as any outages needs to be proactively avoided just like a bear protects its territory. The CIO needs to smartly sell his transformation ideas to the CEO, CFO, CMO and other CXO. He has to be smart as a fox to manage these conversations. While he tries to put in governance and processes around operations, the CIO needs to be agile as a horse to the needs of innovation, and operational excellence
Declaration : 4
Don't trust your folks in the Ivory Tower head office to give you the inputs, be on the field and empathise. Be an anthropologist when it comes to mining the insights of your end users.
It needs to strive to deliver relevant and recognizable solutions. This can happen if the inputs are taken are unadulterated and taken from the source. Develop the art of empathy and search hard for the implied and unsaid requirements.
Declaration : 5
Don't treat your developers as head counts.... Their heads are like the Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara which can create, maintain and destroy anything from code to reputation
Your developers are like the soldiers on ground who win all battles and they need to be constantly trained with the latest tactics. Once they are engaged to the cause - their commitment will drive in developing impressive "Soul"itions.
Declaration : 6
Don't treat your IT service providers as vendors - forge alliances with them and make them a part of your conquests.
Your IT partners need you as much as you need them. Stretch them , challenge them and jointly celebrate your success with them.
While these are some declarations I personally feel would work for the new digital times, I am sure you can add a few more.
Pl. feel free to add more. I would in some other blog try to detail each of the declaration, or may be write a book :) Would you buy that ???? Your response will encourage me for sure :)
Promoter & Managing Director at Redun Pharma LLP
5yVery thought provoking, Deepak
Associate Vice President- IT Asian Paints ( Technology Head | Digital Evangelist | Business Mentor | CISO | Keynote Speaker | 25 years in IT)
5yAashish Kshetry
An interesting and useful post that prompted a query about VUCA that you may be able to help with. I’m wrestling with how we know the world is becoming, or has become, VUCA. Seemingly, we should be able to clearly differentiate between the VUCA world and the non-VUCA world. As there is now much discussion about VUCA there must be a means, or criteria, to clearly mark the transition to VUCA, but I’m finding it tricky to find clarity around this. If we can't be clear about this transition, then we cannot differentiate and compare ideas, skills, models, tools etc. applicable to the non-VUCA world with the VUCA world. Without clarity of the difference there is a strong possibility that we will adopting the same ideas, skills, models, tools etc. applicable for the non-VUCA world. If we don’t know how the VUCA world actually differs in practice we can’t determine the necessary differences in ideas, skills, models, tools etc. and assuring that they are adapted for the VUCA world. If for the VUCA world, we just adopt what we’ve done before then this seems to render the notion of VUCA meaningless. I’m sure the above isn’t the case, but I’d appreciate some help with clearly identifying the practical differences between the VUCA and non-VUCA worlds and how you know ideas, skills, models, tools etc. have been appropriately adapted or assured as applicable to the VUCA world. I hope that makes some sense.
Digital Transformation | Digital Roadmap | IT Infrastructure, ERP Management
8yVery wisely and nicely put your thoughts...Deepak
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8yPearls of wisdom!