Ready for the Extra Responsibility? Or Just Willing?

For all the talk about the unique qualities a CIO can bring to an additional enterprise role, IT isn't the only function that can offer its expertise more broadly. Finance, for example, has an impact on every part of the business, too. Yet it's rare to see the CFO tackling anything other than his executive fiduciary responsibilities.

It may be that CIOs — still viewed by some as the ugly stepchildren of the C suite — remain eager to prove their worth and are more willing to take on additional duties. Says Harvey Nash's Gordon: "IT leaders see [these expanded roles] as a way to be seen as a true businessperson."

The danger is that the CIO could end up taking on tasks that no one else wants to do. "The CIO can end up doing strategic jobs that are core to business success and dependent on IT, or the CIO may get invited to do onerous tasks that they wouldn't want to put on their resume," says Forrester's Cameron. When asked if CIOs who take on extra roles are being exploited, JDSU's Etterman is matter-of-fact: "You probably are being taken advantage of." But Etterman, who describes himself as a "fixer," doesn't mind as long as it's an area where he can add something to the role and take something new from it for himself.

If CIOs are being used by the corporation when being tasked with non-IT roles, it's certainly with their consent. "It's in my interest to make myself valuable to this organization," says Gibson of Best Western. "I saw a hole in the strategic services area and the difficulty the company had filling it. I had a strong point of view about what we should do with strategy. So I volunteered to take it on. I can make a difference and make myself more valuable." For Gibson, who says he doesn't make decisions on a "good for my career/bad for my career" basis, the added roles have been a boon. "Having multiple roles has made this job more interesting than jobs I've had before. It's been good for me." But, says Cameron, "most CIOs do consider it a good career move, because most people believe that the bigger the sphere of influence, the greater the success of the individual."

CIOs are likely to view being tapped for additional responsibility as a vote of confidence. "In this case, my boss saw an opportunity to advance the organization by creating a new function, and he had the confidence in me to lead it and deliver results," says TRW's Drouin. "He didn't have to make either of those choices." Indeed, these additional responsibilities confirm how far CIOs have come. "[These roles] validate IT as being a true strategic enabler rather than a support function," says Gordon of Harvey Nash.

Still, it's not a decision to be made flippantly. (See "Six Questions to Ask Before Branching Out") "If someone does make the move [to take on additional business roles] and it doesn't work out, it can be bad for your reputation, " says Gordon.

That caused Best Western's Gibson to toss and turn more than a few nights before adding a third responsibility. "I know a couple of CIOs who have evolved into COO and CEO roles, so I guess it was clear to me that it was possible to succeed outside of technology," says Gibson. But he had never worked outside of IT. "I probably came into it with more trepidation than anyone else. Part of me was saying, 'OK, this is really different. Why do you want to do this? Why does Best Western think I can do this?'"

CIOs can — and should — say no to opportunities that don't work for them. For one thing, CIOs who are still working to improve the technology group will only hurt themselves — and the business — by donning another business hat, says Cameron. "If a CIO has expanded responsibilities but doesn't manage IT well, that CIO is less likely to be in a better position to deliver improved processes and business results," adds Cameron.

A "no" needn't been seen as a negative. "If the role doesn't have the right sponsorship in the company or does not add value to your career, why take it?" says Gordon, who's seen CIOs turn down additional roles they didn't feel were strategic or would be too much of a distraction to the IT role. "If I wasn't up for the broader responsibility, I would have had to say no," says Gibson.