Companies have to evolve or risk disappearing. Employers of these organizations need to change with the times and the expectations engendered by the times. It has been argued that the job of the CIO is changing and adapting more than any other enterprise career. This may well be the case, and as any CIO who has held the position for more than a few years can attest to, the skills demanded of today's CIO are more inclusive rather than focused.
The pace of change for the CIO job seems to be accelerating, and as Mark Tonnesen, Partner at StrataFusion and former CIO of Electronic Arts concludes: "The key driver is that technology is evolving with the consumer in mind vs. the Enterprise. Innovation as well is in the hands of the consumer, not the enterprise."
Consumers in a way, are also enterprise employees and executives. As a result, they have become accustomed to rapid and seamless updates of their personal digital conveniences. Because of their experiences in the consumer realm, they realize that technology doesn't need to be difficult, obtuse, or defective and consequently, demand that of their internal IT.
The enterprising CIO recognizes that these experiences are the new drivers of what services get delivered, who delivers them, and how they are delivered.
"CIOs who understand this will adopt a strategy to embrace these and become an innovator and an integrator of the new world. Those that do not will be left behind and likely out of work," Tonneson says.
That is a harsh reality for some who continue to look to the historical role as the path to the future. The key will be the CIO's message and active support of these new realities.
Tonneson adds his view of the future CIO with a warning: "Employees are demanding these new service delivery models and the momentum is building quickly. My recommendation is to evolve or die."
