Tue, Apr 8, 2008 19:29 EDT

Three Traits the 21st Century Technology Manager Must Have

Topic: Personal Management

Current Rating: Comments: 3

Kathy Harris, a Gartner analyst, told a room full of IT managers and CIOs attending the Gartner Symposium in Las Vegas today that 60 percent of them lack the management skills required for a leader in the 21st century workplace and urged them to embrace new technologies (and the workers who have grown up using them).

Here’s what I thought were the three most vital traits she cited for the 21st century manager:

1. Experience (and use) new pieces of technology
Too often, managers set up an adversarial, “us versus them” mentality in their organizations by blocking every new piece of technology under the sun. While IT managers do need to worry about security and other parts of their organizations' intellectual property, it's vital that they show they’re fellow managers (and their reports) that they understand what’s going on. "Do you need to have every new thing?" asks Harris. "No. But you do need to be in sync with what’s going on. Anticipate and lead change in areas of social technology."

2) Hire someone who isn’t like you.
The 21st century manager must look at diversity in his or her workplace differently. In the past, diversity was viewed in basic terms, such as someone’s cultural, gender and national origin. Now, it includes things such as geographic location, a person’s digital orientation, thinking styles, and economic growth. Of the latter category, the digital orientation can be of particular importance to a CIO, who might be inclined to hire someone who shares his or her value for command-and-control over corporate systems, rather than a willingness to explore new social technologies. “If you want to learn and change, it’s better to look for someone who might be the opposite of you rather than someone is like you,” Harris says.

3) Demand outcomes, not hours
In the traditional command-and-control workplace, people are expected to work eight hours a day and work under a strict set of systems and processes. A more open workplace that encourages horizontal sharing relies on creating solutions more organically. As a result, managers should set goals, and let users work their way to those goals collectively and help facilitate any needs they might have along the way.

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Wed, Apr 9, 2008 12:50 EDT

Lets separate 'essential' from 'water-cooler' advice

Posted by: Alex Cullen
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I hope that Gartner sees a more impactful set of essential traits than these three!

While these are nice, they fall in the category of 'water cooler advice' – not essential traits for success.

Forrester sees the CIO role evolving along two paths: the 'General Manager of IT" and the "Business Change Agent". Firms need both – but they shouldn't expect one person to be both. And CIOs and aspiring CIOs who are approaching the fork in the road need to choose which path they will take.

Both of these role archetypes must be business focused, collaborators and innovative – but these essential traits are different for each archetype. 'Business-focused' for a General Manager CIO means understanding and communicating the relationship between IT costs & metrics and business activities & metrics, whereas for a Business Change Agent CIO, 'business-focused' means understanding business outcomes and business change - and helping their business peers take advantage of changes in the business & technology ecosystems.

Even the suggested trait of "experience and use new pieces of technology" is very different depending upon role archetype. A Business Change Agent experiences and uses new pieces of technology to learn what they mean for the firm's business model and markets – and to be able to guide peer business execs in seeing potential benefits (or not) in these technologies. A General Manager CIO won't be asked these questions – instead he or she will be asked how the technology compares to what's in place, if it's 'safe to use' and if IT can support it.

The CIO role and responsibility is complex. It's great that CIOs are open to advice on how to improve and prepare for future role requirements. There isn't 'only one size' CIO type and what's essential for success is more complex because of this. Analyst firms need to separate the essential from the nice sounding when we give them advice.

Alex Cullen
Research Director, CIO Role
Forrester Research

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Thu, Apr 10, 2008 14:22 EDT

Gartner vs. Forrester

Posted by: Anonymous
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Wow, Gartner and CIO must be hurting to print the trash that prompted your response. Good job Alex, this speaks volumes to the quality of Forrester Research.

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Thu, Apr 10, 2008 18:28 EDT

Who Is The Audience?

Posted by: Anonymous
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Hold on there. Gartner was talking to "IT managers and CIOs". That's really doublespeak for one or two CIOs of smaller companies and a whole bunch of IT managers. Mr. Forrester you are right about CIOs but I think that is not who this is directed to. For the other 97% of IT managers that are not CIOs here are some thoughts:

Point 1. "blocking every new piece of technology under the sun" is such an extreme statement that no one can argue the opposing side. Way to go out on a limb Gartner!

Point 2. The good news is that you may get new ways of thinking about things. The bad news is that you may not have a person that will back you up no matter what.

Point 3. Pie in the sky. Go ahead and try to scope a project for each individual that will take them 40 hrs per week. It will create a situation like having a team full of consultants operating on a fixed price contract. I like the goals part though.

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