ID Number: G00171480



Decisive Leadership: Making and Surviving Difficult CIO Decisions
1 September 2009
 
Tina Nunno   Dave Aron  

Successful CIOs master difficult decisions by applying frameworks that improve the quality, speed and process of decision making. They also weigh mostly "soft" variables that can be expressed in a CIO decision formula applicable to any difficult situation.





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Table of Contents


    
 Foreword

    
 Executive summary

    
 There is a predictable set of CIO decision challenges
    
 A decision formula can help ensure decision success
    
 CIOs can apply the decision formula to their most difficult decisions

    
 There is a predictable set of CIO decision challenges

    
 The most difficult decisions involve personal and enterprise risk
    
 Leading CIOs create decision frameworks for themselves and the enterprise
    
 Use decision delegation frameworks
    
 Frameworks improve enterprise decision making

    
 A decision formula can help ensure decision success

    
 Successful CIOs break difficult decisions into manageable components
    
 Start with the business and CIO contexts
    
 Trust trumps credibility every time
    
 Timing means knowing when to say, “It is time”
    
 It is perilous to ignore politics
    
 Leverage both luck and proof

    
 CIOs can apply the decision formula to their most difficult decisions

    
 No decision is exactly like the one before
    
 Cooperative decisions are the most complex
    
 People decisions are the most stressful
    
 Unpopular decisions are the most risky
    
 CIOs can survive and optimize decision mistakes
    
 Use the decision formula to plan scenarios

    
 Appendix: Case Studies

    
 Activision Blizzard—Gaining management’s trust after a merger
    
 City of Tampa—Empowering others to become decision makers
    
 Fairfax Media—Timing for optimum decision making

    
 Further Reading

    
 Gartner Executive Programs reports
    
 Core research
    
 Book


List of Tables


Table 1.  
 Definition: Game theory
 

Table 2.  
 Game theory note
 

Table 3.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 4.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 5.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 6.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 7.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 8.  
 Game theory note
 

Table 9.  
 Key research finding
 

Table 10.  
 Game theory note
 

Table 11.  
 Game theory note
 

Table 12.  
 Key research finding
 

List of Figures


Figure 1. 
 CIO decision formula
 

Figure 2. 
 CIO decision formula components
 

Figure 3. 
 Business expectations for IT focus on current operations and performance
 

Figure 4. 
 CIO decision ownership framework
 

Figure 5. 
 CIO decision delegation framework
 

Figure 6. 
 Enterprise decision framework
 

Figure 7. 
 Case example: City of Tampa-Analysis considerations
 

Figure 8. 
 new CIO decision formula
 

Figure 9. 
 CIO decision formula components
 

Figure 10. 
 Business and CIO context variables
 

Figure 11. 
 Decision roles and stances
 

Figure 12. 
 Trust is central to the CIO decision formula
 

Figure 13. 
 Timing Matters
 

Figure 14. 
 Politics should not be ignored
 

Figure 15. 
 Be attentive to both luck and proof
 

Figure 16. 
 CIO decision formula
 

Figure 17. 
 Key variables: People decisions
 

Figure 18. 
 Checklist: Adverse-action criteria
 

Figure 19. 
 Key variables: Unpopular decisions
 

Figure 20. 
 Key variables: Decision mistakes
 

Figure 21. 
 Decision mistakes and corrective tactics
 

Figure 22. 
 Analysis considerations
 

Figure 23. 
 Sample quad chart
 



Browse Topics:
 
IT Management Strategy
CIO and IT Leadership




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