A Winnie the Pooh movie plays in the background as I write. I can hear the voice of Eeyore, famous for his dour expectations. I also hear Tigger springing around, energized by his unfounded optimism.
When it comes to CEOs, I’ve worked with both. Eeyores suffer from a limited frame. Tiggers seek what is beyond what rightly is.
CEOs seem to live in one frame or the other when it comes to technology. Eeyores still regard IT as a cost center. Tiggers hope technology is the cure-all of their competitive aspirations.
Last week, I wrote about how CIOs work with CEOs who have unrealistic expectations.
This week, I write for CEOs who seek to wisely manage their expectations.
How do you as a CEO rightly lead and not impede your company’s relationship with technology?
Three Critical Lenses
Setting right expectations for yourself requires looking deep within as it relates to your conviction, curiosity, and collaboration around technology.
Three convictions must prevail:
Technology, and your technology leaders, are partners in business strategy. Considering the permeation of technology, and the progress/future-shaping of technology, we are long past IT as a hardware/software shop. You must have tech leaders who are critical thinkers.
Technology priorities must be established, they must align with the mission criticals of the business, and you must validate the right priorities. You don’t have to understand the technology, but you must understand the competitive edge of the technology and speak into it.
Technology protects the business. You are in a cyber war. Very serious bad actors seek to steal, kill and destroy your business. It’s profiteers, it’s political enemies, it’s industry competitors. There is no room for lax attitudes, poor practices or weak budgets.
Lack any of these convictions, and you set you and your company up for critical losses and crippling momentum.
CEOs not only manage their expectations by examining their convictions, they also expand their curiosity.
First, CEOs seek to understand the limitations of technology. “What are we asking technology to do that masks issues of people, plans or processes that we must address?” Technology isn’t always the answer, or more accurately, the answer alone.
Second, CEOs are curious about the reach of technology before the risk is too great. “What does X technology provide that we don’t already have effectively and cost-efficiently?” “Where is the line between we can’t afford to not do it vs. we can’t afford to do it?”
The third way CEOs manage their expectations of IT is in embracing collaboration around technology. Shooting straight: a CEO may not value technology within their own understanding, but they cannot ignore the value of technology held by the business leaders.
What are your leaders saying about their technology needs? Do their business strategies escalate technology investment and the place of your CIO? If the majority of collaboration is around greater effectiveness and efficiency provided by IT solutions, you can’t afford to go all-Eeyore and ignore technology anymore. Procrastination and pessimism is not real-world adorable.
Still shooting straight - I live in technology. As I read what I have written, it sounds so basic and simple. But then I talk with you, CEOs. Some of you get it, and I love it. Others of you, this article is the real deal for you. It’s basic to me; it’s critical to you. It's what's missing that can no longer be lost.
Examine your convictions.
Expand your curiosity.
Embrace the collaboration taking place (or that needs to take place).
Otherwise, you will live in a world of Pooh.
