Address Management Gaps

In addition to identifying promising talent, CIOs also must determine what skills or practices are missing in their organizations. Keeping employees up to date with information and training in the latest technologies and management techniques can mean the difference on whether an employee - and an IT organization - is able to innovate.

One way to tell if your organization's skill gaps are being addressed is to examine the types of problems the organization has to solve. If the problems are becoming progressively "better" - for example, you're not dealing with the same infrastructure problems you've had for years or struggling with the same personnel problems you struggled through in the past - then you're doing a good job addressing your group's weaknesses.

When I came to American Airlines four years ago, IT portfolio management was viewed as a nice idea, but nowhere close to a reality. Since then, my team and I have put a portfolio management system in place and trained our staff on how to use it. The system itself was an innovation: Now, the executive committee is able to see clearly how IT functions and how we make financial decisions. We are better able to direct our spending to areas most closely aligned with the company's strategic plan, allowing us to think creatively about other business problems.

So the next time you hear the word innovation, remember that the source of everything your organization creates is the people you employ. Without talented, smart people, our IT departments will fall flat. It's up to us to create an environment that encourages people to perform beyond even their own expectations. That's where true innovation lies. v

Monte Ford is senior vice president and CIO of American Airlines