Chances are you’ve heard that IT spending is moving outside of IT. A recent Harvard Business Review report confirms this, and explains why this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but comes with a caution.
The survey of 436 business leaders found that 41 percent of respondents say IT spending outside the IT organization has grown over the past two years. The report acknowledges that having budget ownership shift to other business areas is a good thing because it makes business owners more accountable for results. However, it emphasizes that initiatives should be managed in partnership with IT, not run in a vacuum.
Why? Because the report also shows low levels of digital confidence, knowledge, and skills in functional areas outside of IT, including marketing, research and development, and sales. CIOs and IT leaders have an opportunity to educate and collaborate with their business peers on the digital trends and skills that will have the greatest impact on the various functional areas of the business.
As one CIO in the report puts it, “My business partners need to be great consumers of technology— curious, aware, engaged, and willing to experiment in their own lives so they come armed with great ideas,” he said.
Download the HBR report “Driving Digital Transformation: New Skills for Leaders, New Role for the CIO” to learn what leading CIOs are doing to inspire their organizations to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
