Nearly every CIO knows the build-a-business-case drill when it comes to validating a new tech buy. Few, however, are aware that they may need to build a business case to secure their job or to move ahead in a promotion.
…“Think of it this way, no one ever sends the water company thank you notes for keeping the water running,” said J.
…“If you are performing, either your organization will recognize and reward you, or your industry will,” said Shawn Banerji, managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates, a leading international Executive Search firm.
…“No matter how elegant the future strategy might be, the CIO will not survive if the business is in jeopardy because of a shaky IT foundation,” said Phil Garland, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ advisory practice and the firm’s National CIO Advisory Solutions Leader.
The next step is ensuring relevance to the business as a whole and to the CFO’s and CEO’s goals in particular. Pay careful attention to the goals of these C-level executives because they can widely differ from one another’s.
“The CFO’s agenda may include governance, risk and compliance, or efficient and timely closing of financials, with roll ups from around the world, or security generally,” explained Garland. “Whereas the CEO may be interested in lowering production or distribution costs, obtaining better information about the customer’s activities, or helping to establish new sources of revenues such as through social networks.”
…Yes, you’ve heard this before but it bears repeating as it is a pivotal step to career success.
“Remember that the value is not about MIPS, bytes, and uptime — the type of metrics CIOs often promote,” said Garland. “Focus on efficiencies brought to the table, better business operation you enabled, and activities that help grow the business.
…The fourth step is to step up and present ideas that lead to business growth rather than simply proposing solutions to support existing or proposed operations.
“CIOs at several companies we work with are moving outside of the traditional IT back-office focus into business value-creating efforts, creating a business partnership that helps explore and exploit technologies such as data analysis, social networking, and mobile to more profitably engage with customers,” said Garland.
…Tooting your own horn is not the same as presenting a successful business case in your own behalf.
…Become an indispensable adviser and thought leader so that C-level executives turn to you for solutions and ideas. The business case for keeping you on or for promoting you further is thus built slowly over time and in small, daily doses.
…“Selling is a skill and technique, usually involving relationship development and finding the value the client is seeking and delivering that value,” said Garland. “CIOs can do that with business unit leaders and others in the C-suite. … It isn’t surprising that selling their own value to the firm is something they find hard to do.”
…Look at all the times you convinced your parents or teachers to let you do something. Think of the times you persuaded your friends to go somewhere or the time you convinced your spouse to marry you. … Now is the time to brush off those skills and deploy them with the same tact you used back when.
Interacting more often with C-level executives will help you to communicate in more natural and acceptable ways.
…“Get up from your desk and get out of the computer room and look and act like a business person and not a technologist,” advised Hanson.http://www.cioupdate.com/career/article.php/3887071/IT-Leadership—Building-a-Business-Case-to-Save-Your
Marco Giunta
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