5 Tips for Fueling IT Effectiveness in 2024

Summer 2024 has unofficially come to a close. Labor Day has come and gone. And it’s likely that you, as a CIO, are deep in contemplation about what more you need to do in order to be “effective.”

You are not alone. Every CIO out there in 2024 is being deluged with both internal and external perspectives, pressures, and opinions about what “needs” to be done, including the latest personal effectiveness fads.

•    Internally, your CEO and fellow C-suite partners are looking to you for leadership and to do “something” that brings AI’s advantage to the organization. At the same time, budget pressures continue (reflecting the state of the economy)‚ and team burnout and lack of focus are potentially impacting the core of IT operations. Then there are the hourly cybersecurity acrobatics that you and the team have to perform in order to keep the organization’s data and reputation safe and secure as your users are clicking away, lured by the promise of Target gift cards.

•    Externally, the market conditions are demanding the utilization of AI and data to “grow the business” and create “competitive advantage.” In addition, all those sales pitches you get on LinkedIn show no sign of abating any time soon with every “AI” product or service promising an instant nirvana state with effortless deployment and total security.

Figuring out what will actually deliver real business value is no small feat for even the most experienced CIO.

5 Ways to Drive IT Effectiveness

So, how do you remain focused no matter what flavor of the year is being thrown at you? I have some advice based on personal experience regarding simple steps CIOs can take to make the right decisions for the enterprise, drive high performance, and be the most responsible and effective IT leader for their organizations.

1.    Navigate the noise, trust your gut. Some might advise ignoring the noise. I don’t. Industry noise can be just noise – until it is not. It’s important to stay dialed in to what is happening in your business and industry. Competitors’ wins and losses can teach an IT leader a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Even news about a recent cyberattack on another company can be instructive.

Start by challenging your own thinking about what you might normally file away as “noise” or something you may have typically ignored before and take a fresh look at what you are seeing or hearing. Don’t try to limit the noise; just take it in. Just as importantly, trust your gut. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you might discover something really promising that was staring at you all along that you had fully ignored. While you don’t want to get swept up mindlessly by the latest buzz or trend, it’s important to act fast on what you find.

2.    Make time for what’s really important: your people. I have yet to meet a CIO who says they have plenty of time on their hands. It’s just never the case. Yet, it’s essential for IT leaders to spend quality time with their teams if they want to have an effective IT function.

That means that CIOs need to carve out time for their teams — and I mean beyond the typical corporate fueled one-on-ones and town halls. Instead, make time for more casual moments where you connect individually with your team members and have a laugh or two. Reach out to a team member ad-hoc to ask their advice or take on something. Host “open mic” office hours periodically. Or simply compliment someone on how they handled an important issue in a hostile meeting with stakeholders. They will appreciate it, feel encouraged, and deliver value at the next level — which will fuel organizational effectiveness.

3.    Be a practical action hero. When CIOs think of action, they often think about big steps: a major ERP rollout, SaaS implementation, or cloud migration. What’s more impactful, in my experience, is what I call “practical action”: taking (or advising your team to take) specific and tangible steps that can keep moving the ball forward.

For example, if a stakeholder is concerned about lack of transparency in IT, a CIO might introduce five metrics that can be reported quickly about the project or topic at hand. That can serve as a starting point that IT can build on over a span of time. These kinds of actions create momentum that typically fuel additional creative ideas and remediation actions along the way.

4.    Listen to communicate. We CIOs often hear inspirational TED talks or keynote speakers and think to ourselves, “Man, if I could only command that type of attention, I’d be a great communicator.” In actuality, most people consider someone a great communicator because they felt heard by that person. 

Indeed, the art of active listening is powerful, free, and can be utilized by CIOs at any time. Don’t underestimate this skill because people will remember someone who really heard them long after the interactions they had with them. Listen to your internal stakeholders, customers, and colleagues. Ask clarifying questions and let them express themselves fully. Really understand what they are trying to say, and factor that into everything you do. Your stakeholders will feel heard and, as a result, will support your charter.

5.    Unplug to recharge. Unlike tech gadgets, humans need to unplug to recharge. This means taking the time to look inward. Clear your mind and thoughts – even if it’s just for ten minutes a day. If you have trouble with this—and most CIOs do — try focusing on your breathing. 

Divert your attention from the work at hand, focusing on your personal well-being, your family, your friends, and your neighbors just as you might you focus on that troubled project, looming deployment ahead, or OpEx cost-cutting ideas that otherwise occupy your mind 24x7. Your effectiveness will improve, yielding actual benefits for the professional tasks on your plate. It’s essential to remember who we are outside of the enterprise in order to safeguard our performance within it.

Those are some of the more valuable lessons I’ve learned during my decades in IT — and I find they are as relevant now as they’ve ever been. I hope they help you make the best choices and drive greater performance for yourself and your teams.