Vision Needs a Reality Check

Wherever the vision emanates from, the principle of execution remains the same. Which is, according to Tony Clasquin, general manager of IT at Colonial First State,"the conversion of ideas into reality. It's simply not good enough to have great ideas, you need to execute the ideas into real, pragmatic and commercial systems and products." And that requires buy-in from all parts of the business, says Clasquin."Partnership is vital. If you spend real time explaining the strategy and goals with your people and partners, it results in them working together to achieve the desired strategy."

You need that level of cross-functional commitment because while it is not that hard to fudge the vision thing, it is almost impossible to fudge an ability to execute. And as far as a CIO's future opportunities are concerned, it is the ability to execute which is most highly prized.

Graham Willis, a recruiter with Russell Reynolds Associates, acknowledges that most organisations rate exceptionally highly a CIO's ability to execute against plan when they are looking to fill the position. During the recruitment phase Willis says a CIO's peers, employees, managers and even external analysts will all be pumped for information, including how well that CIO is able to execute. Some of those questioned will give glowing reports, he says, others will not, but that's not necessarily bad.

"You shouldn't be afraid of some negative references," says Willis."The chances are that at this level you've not made friends everywhere." Indeed a sprinkling of enemies may help identify someone willing to push aside once sacred cows in order to successfully deliver against a strategy.

Besides a track record of successful executions, Willis says companies are looking for a good communicator. It's plus for a company if its CIO has a profile in the IT and businesses communities; even more so if he or she can speak with analysts and the media explaining how IT is underpinning the future development of the organisation.

That is not to say employers want a jack of all trades - they want a master of all trades. Kelly Jones, head of information technology at Deutsche Bank in Sydney, says that the basket of skills required by a successful CIO keeps expanding.

"The CIO role is a general management role in an IT business. Consequently the skills required are typical of this. This includes strategic, political, people, financial and execution skills," Jones says."However, an issue in IT is that the subject is often not well understood by the businesses it supports and the CIO must bridge the gap between business and IT at both the strategic and execution levels."

This need for constant and clear communications between all the stakeholders is widely acknowledged as key in successful execution.

As Reefe Brighton, who is the CIO of Tasmanian energy company Aurora Energy notes, you require a clear understanding of what they want to do."'I want a database' is not an acceptable articulation of the requirement," Brighton says. At the same time he needs"from the strategic planners and solution architects a clear understanding of how their approach to achieving that objective will translate into real action".