CIOs as “Chief Inquisitive Officer: A set of Q&As (XI) to Run IT as the Business Rain Maker

Modern CIOs face many challenges, it is not sufficient to only keep the lights on. Regardless of which industry or the nature of organization you are in, being a digital leader will need to master the art of creating unique, differentiating value from piles of commoditized technologies and take advantage of the emergent digital trend as well; digital CIOs also have multiple personas, “Chief Innovation Officer,” “Chief Insight Officer,” “Chief Improvement Officer,” “Chief Information Officer,” and here, we discuss CIOs as “Chief Inquisitive Officer,” with a set of Q&As to lead digital transformation.



Running a Future-Driven IT Organization to Catalyze Growth: Organizations large or small are at the digital journey, corporate IT needs to shift from a back office support center to a future-driven growth engine. Because more often information is the lifeblood and technology is the disruptive force of digital transformation.
How to Run IT as a Better Business Partner? Many IT organizations are at transformation journey, from an industrial model to digital leap; from a cost center to value-added; from 'T'-technology driven to 'I'-Information focus, from alignment to engagement. But more specifically, how shall IT leaders run IT as a better business partner?.
Is IT a Growth Engine or Supporting Function IT perception is always controversial, on one hand, IT touches every nerve of organization at digital era, makes significant impact on business growth; on the other hand, most of IT organizations today are still under-appreciated, being treated as supporting, back office function, why, and how should IT refine its purpose and re-brand its reputation?
Should and How can IT Get more Engaged in Revenue Generating Initiatives? Historically, IT has been perceived as a back office and a cost center, a technology controller, not an enabler. Now, with the accelerating speed of change and the consumerization of IT, IT organization has to improve its maturity, from being a reactive helpdesk to a proactive business partner; from a cost center to a value creator; and, more importantly, it needs to become an innovation engine and the driver of business growth. But more specifically, how can IT get more engaged in revenue generating initiatives?
Can you Run IT as a Business Multiplier Many IT organizations are on the journey to transform from a cost center to a value creator, from a commodity service provider to an innovation engine. The word "transformation" in itself often means radical change and change for the better - new ways and methods of doing things, new structures, new relationships etc. There are changes in two shapes from IT management perspective: One is internal where IT transforms, and the second where IT helps to transform or change the business in line with new strategic imperatives. Change is not for its own sake, but to maximize IT value and ideally, running IT as a business multiplier.
The digital CIOs reimagine IT as the business growth engine and lead changes via inquiries. A confident CIO needs to keep asking open-ended questions such as, "Why? Why not? What If?" They have to focus on guiding the company through the digital transformation, and create unique business value because IT is the significant element of any differentiated business capability and the defining factor for competitive advantage.



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