“CIO Master” Book Preview: Chapter 3 “CIOs as Change Agent” Introduction

Change is inevitable. And the speed of change is accelerating. Often information abundance catalyzes change and technology is the disruptive force behind changes. Hence, CIOs shouldn’t get pushed for the changes, they are actually in a better position to play a role as change agent, and more & more organizations empower their CIOs as a forerunner to drive changes and lead digital transformation at the organizational level.


The purpose for Change: Change is not for its own sake, laser focus on the business purpose behind it. A change is a fundamental way you look at what you are doing is needed. Why are you trying to make changes? What are you going to do with it? Who are you going to help with it? A strategy for changes calls for a clear vision of the future and a roadmap about how we can get there. The strategic planning process should be cognizant of change from the beginning and should incorporate some of the core Change Management principles into its approach. Those who plan the solutions need to also be capable of implementing them. Change is not just an event, change nowadays is an ongoing capability, hence, pay more attention to the processes under the surface, in order to manage change with a structural approach.
Change Mentality: Change is difficult, some say, change is not a problem, the primary reason for change failure is resistance to change while the secondary reason the inability of leaders to deal with resistance. Hence. Work-changing acts need to be delivered together with a positive emotional charge. The emotional charge keeps the memory of the act alive for a longer period. People often do not resist to change but resist being changed. Because people look for “What’s in It For Me.” Given that, Change Management needs to craft and most importantly deliver these messages at both individual and group level, and more critically reinforce these statements through consistent action. Change should be viewed as an “opportunity,” and deep engagement usually accelerates changes in the longer term.
Getting ahead of the Change Curve: Business Change Management is managing everything that is necessary to get people to adopt new ways of working such as stakeholder management, communication, process or organizational change, business readiness or technical enhancement, etc. The change curve is a model of the states that people who are to change will go through because going through the downs of the change curve has a negative impact on productivity. The curve is applicable to everyone even those who planned and conceived the vision. You can dig through the causes via asking: “Is the change curve a useful construct” “Do humans easily accept changes?” “Do humans follow predictable patterns of responses?” Etc. It takes a multi-stepped process to get ahead of change curves. Improvement is more than discovering an elegant solution. The more complex the change, the more complex the solution. This often means customized approaches to tailor different situations.
Change Management is a journey, not just a one-time project. Riding ahead of the change curve takes strategy and methodology. People are the weakest link, also the very reason for any changes, so make people as our core focal point, to make sure the entire organization speed up for change and achieve business agility.
Follow us at: @Pearl_Zhu