Thursday, June 7, 2012

Ten Inspiring IT Elevator Speeches

IT is built to change in order for an organization built to last and from good to great.
IT and CIOs are at the tipping point for transformation, with new mindset to create value center instead of cost center, move from back office to the front brain yard, and with the latest technology such as cloud, mobile, social and Big Data as silver lining, CIOs need to learn how to articulate IT value to the Chairman of the Board in 25 or less simple words.

Though there is no one answer that suits all, the IT elevator speech is a reflection of the personality and value proposition of the sector and business, it needs to always be tailored to the language and interests of the audience. But collective wisdom can be shared:

1. IT needs to be "Built to CHANGE" in order for an organization "built to last" and from good to great.

2. IT is an innovation engine of any business in the digital era, to equip people with the latest technology & information, to help the business make the right decision at every level, to capture insight & foresight for the future of the organization.

3. IT role is to enable the business to exceed customer expectations, increase profitability and maintain a competitive advantage. IT should provide innovative solutions to meet business needs.

4.  IT is there to provide whatever technology services the business needs to service its customers. IT is only ever going to be strategic to business direction if the CIO has a board role.

5. IT supports all the other business functions, to get the right information to the right people at the right time so they can make the right decisions.

6. IT manages the technical plumbing and improve business efficiency internally and enable the business to drive revenue and provide innovation externally. 

7. A new emerging digital theme is the split of strategy and service delivery. Traditional IT is good at service delivery (whatever the sourcing model). What companies really need though is the strategic role in strengthening and separated from the nuts-and-bolts work. Whether this has the CIO as de facto chief process officer, chief innovation officer, or some other mix - this is where the value is generated.


8. IT and the business are intertwined but must be on the same page. IT enables the business to operate effectively and successfully and enables it to grow, change and adapt to future needs. IT is driven by the business, but a great IT department also has the vision to be a driver for the business.

9. IT supports and enables business operations through the efficient and effective use of technology; IT simplifies and automates today's operations, and envisions & enables tomorrow's aspirations.

10. IT provides progressive technology solution, from business enabler to business transformer, helps to shape up the high-performance organization at today's hyper-competitive environment.



Bonus Offer: The CIO’s Elevator Pitch:
The essential of the CIO role is more about the magic "I": transforming from an infrastructure manager into an integration/innovation/influence/intrapreneurship/intelligence/improvement officer, be a business strategist and a technology visionary at the same time, situational driven and value-added, lead by influence. 

0 comments:

Post a Comment