Tag Archives: CEO
10 questions you should be asking about IT
I have to admit that I don’t often get excited about IT articles. But, the recent article titled “The do-or-die questions boards should ask about technology” by Paul WIlmott, a director in McKinsey’s London office, had me at “Hello!” Now, granted, part of why I got so excited is because what Mr. Willmott writes is […]
Integrating IT
There is change in the air, and it’s not just spring time allergies. Clients, prospects, and colleagues are all talking about technology again. I have a theory about what is going on. Post Nicholas Karr’s famous diatribe, “Does IT Matter?” (Answer: Not really) executives across the spectrum of company size relegated IT to “plumbing” and […]
Analyze This!
The conference room was modest but very functional – a rarity these days! The two teams had amassed on either side, cordial, eager to complete the deal. We were there representing the buyer. The teams were divided into “operations,” “finance,” and “IT.” Everyone had six weeks to complete all the analysis, and land gracefully into […]
“Why can’t I get e-mail when e-mail is down?”
IT called the users that the email server was down. What came next was the question above from the CEO of the company to his CIO. Nope. I am not making it up. No emphasis added. Real question. Real CEO. What’s sad about this is that this executive is not alone. Testimonials of this sort […]
It’s the Technology, Stupid!
Just as the words of President Clinton still echo their fundamental truth in our country’s politics, I submit a new rallying cry to corporate America: “It’s the Technology, Stupid!” Consider this: In January of this year, Hugo Sarrazin and Andy West wrote in McKinsey Quarterly an insightful paper on “Understanding the strategic value of IT […]
Managing Complexity
Since 2004 IBM has been tracking through surveys the top (external) factors that contribute to a company’s management challenges. (You can download the survey here: http://www.ibm.com/services/us/ceo/ceostudy2010/) Consistently on top was “Market Factors” but significantly, its importance in the ranking has been waning. In 2004, for example, it was ranked number #1 with 84% of respondents. […]
