Talent development is taking on increasing importance for IT leaders given the technology worker shortages facing many areas today. This is particularly true in greater Philadelphia, where the shortage is so pronounced that the State of Pennsylvania recently awarded a $500,000 grant to help train more tech workers.
Cultivating talent is one of the duties many CIOs say is the most rewarding part of their job. We caught up with four CIOs who recently won the 2018 Philadelphia CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards to learn how they're developing talent in their organizations. The awards were presented by the Philadelphia CIO Leadership Association, a professional community that annually recognizes CIOs for their excellence in technology leadership.
We asked these award-winning CIOs to share an anecdote of how they helped someone in their IT organization take their career to the next level. Additionally, given that these leaders know what it takes to shine in IT, we also asked them to share a professional growth tip that those inside the world of IT can use to propel their careers forward.
What follows are some of their proud mentoring moments and guidance to help others who want to stand out in their IT jobs. Common themes included developing soft skills, evolving your technology skills, and making sure you are truly learning the business you're in. More on why this is important and how it can help you in the interviews below.
Demonstrate a passion for driving outcomes
Global CIO of the Year
Dale Danilewitz, Executive Vice President & CIO, AmerisourceBergen: My goal is to tightly integrate the IT and business functions by rotating our employees between the respective departments. We measure the bi-directional turnover between IT and the business and have set ourselves a goal of reaching a minimum percentage. I have mentored my team members to develop skills that can be more broadly applicable.
My favorite example is of a colleague who started as a customer service representative in our oncology business. I encouraged him to consider a role as a subject matter expert for our e-commerce solution. He embraced this role and augmented his business knowledge by developing his technical and leadership skills. His passion and motivation to expand his knowledge helped him to rise in the organization and to subsequently return to the business in a senior role, leading all of our oncology products and solutions across the company and reporting directly into the president.
Tip: I love the saying, “hire the heart and train the brain.” I am a firm believer that we should hire people who exhibit a passion for driving outcomes and delivering value, and who have general skills and experience. In today’s changing digital landscape, people who are personable and eager to learn will be more successful in business, regardless of the role they are asked to perform and the department they are contributing to. I sincerely believe that the employee should immerse themselves in understanding their business and the industry that their business operates in, and be accountable to delivering on commitments.
I try to encourage our staff to focus on delivering value for the business and that we promote based on performance capital, and not on self-aggrandizement. I advise people on their careers using a quote I live by from Viktor Frankl’s 1946 book “Man’s Search for Meaning:” “Don't aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself …”
Worry less about technical proficiency and more about value delivery
Enterprise CIO of the Year
Kenneth S. Solon, Executive Vice President, CIO and Head of Digital, Lincoln Financial Group: About two years ago, I had an employee who clearly was a rising leader. She demonstrated the top traits of any IT executive – technically capable, strong at execution and delivery, and skilled at managing the rate and pace of change in our industry. Yet, I knew she needed to build on her leadership presence to rise to the next level. After identifying areas for continued growth – visibility, executive communication skills, and being able to navigate through environmental nuances – we got to work.
For my part, I found her opportunities to spend time in front of senior business partners, and I coached her in near-real-time to spend more time focused on the needs of these internal customers and to frame the IT story in terms of delivering business value. I challenged her to step back and think strategically. And I found her opportunities to get good at looking at the big picture – I encouraged her to build a next-level organization based on the future needs of Lincoln. I asked her a lot of questions – questions about her thought process, how she got to a recommendation, why she made certain decisions the way she did. Based on how she answered those questions, I was able to help steer her to the right decisions so I could get out of the way. After a series of steps to increase her responsibility, she is now thriving as a senior vice president and a member of Lincoln’s Corporate Leadership Group.
Tip: In the world of IT, early career success is closely tied to being on time and on budget. But as you grow in your career, I encourage you to think like a business person, not just an IT person. Don’t be complacent – be intellectually curious; learn about the business and the needs of your customers; understand the value you’re creating; be able to tie the work you’re doing to the strategy, and don’t lose sight of the benefit to the customer. Worry less about being technically proficient – you already know how to do that – and worry more about value delivery so you can have a real impact on your organization and your customers.
Maintain technical relevance through lifelong learning
Corporate CIO of the Year
Brian Seidman, CTO, iPipeline: My father was a college professor so teaching is in my blood. I’ve found that most of the high-potential individuals in our organization already have strong technical skills. Many times what they need coaching on relates to softer skills such as how to deal with challenging customers, co-workers, etc. One approach I take is meeting with them routinely and focusing on how to get things “unblocked” in challenging situations via roleplaying. It may seem strange, but what I am most of proud of are those direct reports of mine who have left our organization and moved on to be the CIO or CTO at other organizations. Over the past ten years, this has occurred twice, and I watch their careers closely. I am happy to see that the companies they are steering are also successful.
Tip: Two tips that are both equally important in my mind. First, you have to stay technically relevant and open yourself up to a lifetime of learning. As an IT leader, you need to truly dig into what’s new and understand its relevance to your organization. The second tip is understanding the vision and business drivers that make your organization successful and connect with customers directly – as often as you can – to ensure IT is aligned.
Don't let your job title stand in the way of growth
Nonprofit CIO of the Year
Tom Murphy, Vice President for Information Technology and University CIO, University of Pennsylvania: A highly-technical staff member had career aspirations that led him to reach out for mentorship. I sponsored him for a Penn management program, where he received top ratings. I encouraged him to apply for an IT leadership position at one of our schools – a stretch opportunity that worked out. I then sponsored him for the Leadership @ Penn program, and he graduated with honors. He has become a top IT leader at Penn and is now my co-chair of Penn’s IT Roundtable group.
Tip: Take on additional responsibilities and special projects when the opportunity arises. Do not make that contingent on title and salary – those will come. Become the person who is a “tri-athlete” (technical, operational, leader), taking on different projects that develop new skills and experiences. Don’t allow your job description to create artificial barriers to your personal and professional growth.
[ Which of today's IT roles are vanishing? Read our related article, 4 dying IT jobs. ]
