What strategies have you found most effective in accelerating your time to impact as a newly appointed CIO?

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Global 3 x CISO (CISO) in Software10 months ago

aligned to the business strategy driven roadmap, build working prototypes to 'show' and allow business leaders to experience what is coming so they can provide real time feedback. This builds trust and momentum across the combined teams!

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Chief Data Officer in Travel and Hospitality10 months ago

I highly recommend reading "The First 90 days" book by Michael D. Watkins. Typical break even period of CXOs is 6 months, and the goal is shrink it to 90 days. The exact acceleration strategy would depend on the situation of the company you are joining. He describes it using STARS model i.e. Start-up, Turnaround, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, Sustaining success. But the common theme would be to learn fast but please do so without judgement so that you can get unfiltered view, and earn team's trust. 

CTO in Healthcare and Biotech10 months ago

If it's a new company you're in, then the first couple of weeks do listening 4X, and talking 1X, so you can consume all information regarding the problems now, what questions you must ask, and gather as much data as possible. As each week passes by, switch from more talking while maintaining a balance from listening.

If it's a promotion in your current company, have a session with your CEO to fully understand what are his/her concerns about the problems there are now, what are the OKRs you have to meet, and in which time frame they have to be. 

Be ready to learn & pivot as often as you require to be.

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0-2 hours10%

3-5 hours48%

6-8 hours25%

9-11 hours11%

12 hours+4%

I have 0 unscheduled meetings most weeks.

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Improving delivery speed of IT output13%

Modernizing older IT systems42%

Increasing stability of IT systems22%

Implementing more consistency in IT delivery and support10%

Enabling more innovation within the IT teams7%

Maintaining control over IT spend3%

Other

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