What's the CIO’s next logical transformation
Nope, I don’t mean chief digital officer. That’s a transient position, tapped for the relatively short-term mission of catalyzing adoption of digital to disrupt a company’s traditional approach to business.
It’s not chief innovation officer, either. While CIOs could be effective at “officiating” an innovation pipeline and process, innovation is just one avenue leading to the destination of business transformation. Rather than the avenue, CIOs should be managing the road map.
Yep, the most logical step-up role for CIOs is chief transformation officer. This is an executive-level authority that drives, governs and is held accountable for the business’s strategy for transforming its business model, products/services, customer engagement, internal organization structures, and platforms and processes.
And finally, who else could apply years of lessons learned in continuously transforming a complex, high-stakes function that is crucial to every part of the enterprise yet is chronically underfunded and talent starved (Yes, I mean the IT department.)
Few companies can argue they are not on some sort of transformation journey to remain relevant, viable and thriving. More than 80 percent of the CIO Executive Council members we talk with every day claim transformation as a Top 3 priority. If that transformation spans more than a couple of business functions or units, it will benefit from dedicated executive oversight. The best executive to step up and provide that leadership is a strategic CIO. That’s my answer to “What should be next for CIOs.” Now ask yourself, “Is this what’s next for me”