@ DrT:

> Very well thought list. I like the idea using work to develop people.
> When it comes to system and people interactions people are mostly
> the weakest link. So focusing on the weakest link and developing
> controls around it may improve overall performance of the system.

What you are saying is 100% valid. However my point goes beyond just doing it for systems sake. Even in non-IT scenarios, where people may not necessarily be the weakest link, it makes sense to use work to develop people. People dont like to be used as tools or resources to get the work done.

@ Jabailo:

I am glad you found the list helpful.

I am not a good CIO. I am not a CIO. I am not a CxO either. I have just worked closely with many CxOs and have seen them making outstanding successes or spectacular failures and everything in between.

Yes, I do consulting. Though I have advised against buying into consultant-speak. Common sense consulting is rare to find.

By surrounding yourself with a strong team, you make yourself look better and perform better as CIO, and your organization benefits, too. It really is beneficial to everyone. One CIO I speak to regularly knows which members of his team see his midsize company as a stop-over, who wants to stay there forever (all things being equal), and says he tries to support them in their goals through training, management courses, etc., that best-suit both their current and long-term plans. I think that makes good business and moral sense.

Yes, you sound like a good CIO...love the Top 10 list.

Got any consulting gigs?

Very well thought list. I like the idea using work to develop people. When it comes to system and people interactions people are mostly the weakest link. So focusing on the weakest link and developing controls around it may improve overall performance of the system.

I wonder how many CIOs have people they trust to tell them their honest opinions who they can use as sounding boards? This would seem a good idea, to have a handful of IT and business friends and colleagues that you can run ideas by before implementing them to discuss the pros and cons. With today's social media and collaborative technology, it's even easier than ever to gather a few folk together for a casual discussion; Google Hangout or some other social collaboration software is a great way to gather occasionally to talk about the issues facing each other. Is this something CIOs do?

Not to get political, but they may be taking a lesson from Washington, D.C. Moving away from that area, I do wonder if there is a noticeable difference in this attitude between public vs. private companies given shareholder pressure on quarterly results that can occur in public firms (not always, of course).

It's one of the most short-sighted things I've seen otherwise savvy corporations do: provide incentives to kick difficult spending decisions into the next quarter/year.

That's true, Kim, especially at public companies, where everything is measured in quarters. I was fortunate to pitch a long-term study to a former boss; it involved working with the University of Miami over several years. The university's CIO was amenable and so was my editor. Although the publication folded long before the project was scheduled for completion, it was refreshing to find someone who supported and encouraged an initiative that involved such a long period of time - especially in publishing! Cherish those managers and be one yourself is the moral I learned from that experience.

Short-term thinking can be a problem, but I wonder if the real culprit is short-term goals.  I've mentioned this before, and it's something I've seen at work even in large corporations.  Departments and managers are judged by their success in meeting short-term budget goals.  Personal remuneration (pay grade) can depend on success in meeting those goals.

This provides an incentive to develop quick, cheap fixes, because the long-term cost to the enterprise is either not going to be your problem, or at least not a problem until many paychecks down the road.