IT Employment
by cio-techrep
I have been wrastling with this concept for some time, what is the difference between the CIO, the CTO and the IT Manager and where do accountants fit into all this ?
We take great pride in the fact that we don't own the corporate data, we don't even vouch for its integrity - the accountants tell you whether it is right or wrong, all we do is supply the tools and resources to make the data available.
Most IT departments belong to an accounting function anyway and as a result hardly ever get to go off and act autonomously influencing the direction the business takes so what is this CIO thingey ? Now a CTO I can relate to, this is a guy who determines technology standards and strategy but often you don't find him in an organisation that is not bound up intimately with various bits and pieces of IT iron.
Then we come to what you have implied is the lowly position of the IT Manager. Our org has three of those, doing different activities, not because any one of them is a specialist rather it is since there are so many different strands to the IT rope that it is increasingly difficult to manage them all effectively if you're a one stop shop. So now we come back to the CIO, if you really want to call him that....I have one, heis not called a CIO but he is hopeless. Everything is viewed from the standpoint of helicopter, 100 metres up and no detail. OK, so maybe that's the expectation, he doesn't need the detail - do i need to explain basic principals and concepts to him then ? What skills does he really need to have ? He certainly isn't protecting me from the business managers - i have to fight my own battles with them - Anyone looking for a really good IT Manager CIO wannabe with good skills across the board and right up to the board?
by cõsmic
So really, what is this CIO thingy? cio-techrep@o-s-p.com puts things in a fascinatingly refreshing perspective. And most CIO/CTOs are that way. For no fault of their own, in corporate heirarchy, perfectly normal professionals become caricatures of themselves.
Firstly, the truth is... CIOs, CTOs and IT Managers are all data custodians with differed levels of responsibility. Though it may seem that the IT Manager performs more functions than a CIO and yet is lower in the corporate paycheck rung, CIOs bring lots to the organization in terms of face and paper value. Some CIOs are hired purely on the basis of where they have been and what they can bring along independent of their skillsets. Big names bring big bucks and confidence in investors. No matter how superficial it may be.
Secondly, CIOs, in most cases are not expected to know how to crimp a network wire or how to generate and API call. If they know it, great. Their core responsibility is to get the job done. Even if it means crapping on a poor IT Manager. Techrepublic's "Five Stages of an IT Project" is a funny but close to the truth representation of how IT Managers feel.
Don't feel that way. Hostility towards the CIO will usually result in organizational conflict that will end up in the greater common goal suffering.
Signing off, if you're feeling shitty about the CIO being a numbskull, it's okay. Hang in there for a little while longer, play your cards right, and be tuned in to TechRepublic and you'll be there yourself.
by cio-techrep
I have been wrastling with this concept for some time, what is the difference between the CIO, the CTO and the IT Manager and where do accountants fit into all this ?
We take great pride in the fact that we don't own the corporate data, we don't even vouch for its integrity - the accountants tell you whether it is right or wrong, all we do is supply the tools and resources to make the data available.
Most IT departments belong to an accounting function anyway and as a result hardly ever get to go off and act autonomously influencing the direction the business takes so what is this CIO thingey ? Now a CTO I can relate to, this is a guy who determines technology standards and strategy but often you don't find him in an organisation that is not bound up intimately with various bits and pieces of IT iron.
Then we come to what you have implied is the lowly position of the IT Manager. Our org has three of those, doing different activities, not because any one of them is a specialist rather it is since there are so many different strands to the IT rope that it is increasingly difficult to manage them all effectively if you're a one stop shop. So now we come back to the CIO, if you really want to call him that....I have one, heis not called a CIO but he is hopeless. Everything is viewed from the standpoint of helicopter, 100 metres up and no detail. OK, so maybe that's the expectation, he doesn't need the detail - do i need to explain basic principals and concepts to him then ? What skills does he really need to have ? He certainly isn't protecting me from the business managers - i have to fight my own battles with them - Anyone looking for a really good IT Manager CIO wannabe with good skills across the board and right up to the board?
by cio-techrep
What I do:
Control my budget
Determine my staffing needs
Set my short term, medium term and long term targets
Determine the resources and equipment I need to do the job
Have meetings with the CIO
Explain basic technologies and approach concepts to the CIO
Supply the CIO with project plans
Supply the CIO with target dates for activities
Prepare monthly performance reports ito SLA's
Create SLA's and get business to accept them
Determine the technology strategy for today, tomorrow and one to two years hence
Kick technical support backsides when things go wrong
Nurture and encourage my guys when they make innocent and honest mistakes that they own up to and when they do things well
Escalate issues only when I sense the business will squeal
Prepare capital project justifications
Prepare reporting staff promotion/remuneration recommendations
What he does:
Has lots of meetings and loves to know about everything that is going on
rewrites my Capital project justifications
calls me into meetings when he feels technically or organisationally vulnerable
Demands fixed target and delivery dates
Is not interested in the actual details unless it is a pet project of his
Arrives late for meetings he setups or is absent at the time that he calls the meeting for
by wires&people
The CIO is responsible for alignment between IT and other other executives. As part of the team making strategic decisions about what and who to buy or sell, the CIO's job is to review those executive decisions for fit to the organizations's technology. Ulitmately the CIO is repsonsible for the Manager's work.
A good CIO keeps in touch with his or her techonology specialists including his or her managers. The Managers know more technology than the CIO; but the CIO knows more about where the leadership of the company is going. The CIO should be advising the Manager as to what strategic changes are happening in the company; the Manager should be advising the CIO as to what technology changes are happening that could create cost savings or technology opportunities. Both should be working together to execute the technology strategy and tactics for the firm.
Yes it appears as if the CIO spends all of his or her time in meetings - but that's were the other executives are. That'swhere the long term decisions for the company are getting made and the CIO needs to be there.
Managers should understand that the CIO is fighting political battles every day; CIOs should understand and be respective for the great amount of detailed work that the Manager is doing. Sometimes CIOs regret that they have lost their technical skills; a good one will let their Managers know this and ask appropriately for their help. Enjoy it when the CIO needs you. Use it to your advantage.
Both jobs are tough and need different skill sets to be effective. A good CIO is respectful, supportive and listening hard to his or her managers; a good manager is making their boss look good, learning and watching them in meetings and getting readyto take their job.
by four-eyes
by tbragsda
by hitesh.url
Hi,
CIO's role is defined towards taking care of Managment's investment concern such as ROI, Value proposition, business functions that can be automated, various policy such as Purchase, Security ( usually CSO develops but few are hiring CSO's others ask CIO to act upon), Web, e-business etc. CIO's perspective towards IT is business oriented with low TCO etc.
IT Managers usually focus on exploring technological changes on day to day basis, routine issues related to IT Managment, propogating(acting on) policies approved by maangement, vendor management for routine purchase and mainteanance calls etc.
IT Manager can providelot of performance matrics to CIO so that CIO can deal with vendor's maangment in getting done with better SLA terms and make IT Investment in right technology.
That's the way we have observed the things happening in India and other Asian countries.
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