How to Get Off to a Great Start as a CIO?

The role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) can be very daring, burdensome, and rewarding all at the same time. Handling a whole company can be a very tiresome and tedious process, so it is better if you go in on your first day with a broad mind and always seek learning.

Learning about the employees working with you as well as the core strategy of the company. Also, after an adequate amount of study is done, try coming up with new plans and approaches for the betterment of the company.

If you are a Chief Information Officer (CIO) or about to move roles, then you may follow these steps to create an impactful impact in the beginning phase as a Chief Information Officer (CIO). The steps involved are:

Step 1: Learn

As soon as you have been appointed to your new role as Chief Information Officer (CIO), you need to start learning about your employees and clients.

Even if you are still working for your former employee or preparing for the role of a Chief Information Officer (CIO) after a break, take time to study about the company that you are about to work for.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) who is wanting to learn about his/her new employees must:

• Study annual reports from time to time to keep getting new updates about the company.
• You must study analyst reports about the strategy, structure, performance as well.
• You must read proper articles by the customers, suppliers, clients, and industry experts.
• Talking with the former Chief Information Officer (CIO) can be very helpful as his experience will guide in the best possible ways
• You must try contacting your new boss for an informal chat or meet to eradicate the awkwardness amongst you both.

The Chief Information Officers (CIOs) need to drench themselves in each and everything related to the organization.

Before starting the role of a Chief Information Officer (CIO), he/she must be thinking about a vision and a mission for the tremendous success of his/her role as well as for the company.

This vision must indeed match with the corporate sector mindset and should also reflect your approach through the IT sector. Find more information for leading CIO recruitment here.

Step 2: Hit the Ground Running

After the appointment of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), he/she must start the work immediately with full enthusiasm. They must begin laying the foundation for making the company successful and powerful in the field of IT management.

Once the appointment is complete, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) must do the following in the first week:

• Get a proper tour of your office to get acquainted with your surroundings.
• You must familiarise yourself with the work area, calendar, emails that you have to use in the next upcoming days.
• Arrange a meet for about 1-2 hours with your boss to discuss the foundation and the basis of the organization.
• You must meet at least five stakeholders as this will help you to get to know about their strategies and further plans.
• Reviewing the detailed planned strategy, performance and personal data as well will help you get an overview of the past records.
• Introduce yourself to your whole team who you will be working with within the upcoming days.
• Speak to the frontline workers and the staff members. Try listening to their issues and solving their problems. Also, try to seek advice and ideas from them.
• Thoroughly go through the project program and the drawbacks and backlogs as well. This will help you build a better portfolio for the organization in the near future.
• Make sure to download the company’s mobile application and look through the website. Also, suggest any required changes and consult the team to work on them.
• Spend some hours with the call centers and try listening carefully to the operator calls.
• Visit the customer service area of your organization and gather information and reviews about the service that is provided by the organization.
• Keep a check on your competitions from time to time and challenge them with full enthusiastic movements.
• Talk to the industry experts from time to time to understand the problems and try resolving the issues.

As a Chief Information Officer (CIO), you must focus on these five areas of interest:

• The Market Environment
• The Colleague’s Expectations
• The Organization’s Capabilities
• Compliance &
• Risk

Step 3: Build a Strong Team

A strong team is everything. The team members have the technical knowledge and you have vision and skills to manage. You both are directionless without each other. They help you to implement your ideas into real life. Therefore, it is very important to build a team.

As a Chief Information Officer (CIO), you must start by identifying the internal talents of your team and promote them to perform their level best. This will show your rewarding nature of good work and will create trust within the team.

There can be people who have not performed up to a certain required level. You must meet them to understand the problem and assist them in the best possible ways of mentoring and training. If their performance still remains the same, their respective field of work must be changed or they must be asked to leave.

For this, the hiring committee is responsible. You must build a relationship with the IT Recruitment Agency as they have the network, time, as well as experience to hire experienced developers.

Step 4: Define Success when you start

It is very necessary to explain your definition of success with your boss at the start of your role as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). According to Harbott, there are three important conversations you must have with your boss.

This will help you establish your objectives and also help you to prioritize your resources. The three conversations are listed below:

• The first conversation will define your expectations and purpose as a Chief Information Officer (CIO). Ask your supervisor about the areas to focus on while working, how will your performance be measured and what success looks like to you.
• The second conversation involves the topic of “Resource Management”. Explain all the resources you already have and what all resources will you need to implement your plans and strategies. Also, discuss the staff capabilities and vacancies and outline the field of operation and management. Don’t forget to mention the change in budgets.
• Finally, talk about maximum effectiveness. Get to know about the format and frequency of formal meetings to be held in order to emphasize maximum interactions. Discuss the suitable methods of communications and outline how the decisions will be signed off.