Leadership and strategic planning
Effective leadership and strategic planning skills are the keys to success for any CIO. As more CIOs are expected to speak the language of the business and contribute to the success of the organization, leadership and strategic planning skills are essential. Find information and advice on effective leadership and strategic planning for CIOs, including news, tips and other resources, in this topic section.
Top Stories
-
Feature
05 Jul 2023
Replacing vs. maintaining legacy systems
Understanding issues such as which systems hinder organizational performance can help IT leaders decide which legacy systems to replace and which to maintain. Continue Reading
-
Feature
19 Dec 2022
How companies can overcome the IT worker shortage
Research shows organizations are still struggling to bring in IT talent. We identify the reasons why there's a shortage and what CIOs and other IT leaders can do to combat it. Continue Reading
-
News
07 Sep 2018
3 secret virtues of a great IT practitioner
At Gartner Catalyst, Gartner's Danny Brian explained why great IT practitioners are lazy, impatient and hubristic. Continue Reading
-
Tip
06 Sep 2018
4 best practices to maximize the value of your ITSM vendor
If your ITSM vendor isn't living up to expectations, chances are you're ignoring these four ITSM best practices. ISG's Lois Coatney takes you through them, step by step. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Aug 2018
Survey: IT leaders invest to improve cybersecurity, compliance
As companies outgrow dated data protection and compliance management systems, IT leaders are making an investment in cybersecurity to avoid risk and stare down regulatory mandates. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Aug 2018
Texas college CIO pushes into enterprise service management
A mature ITSM program has not only won Link Alander's IT team kudos for superb service delivery, but it is also driving automation of business processes in other departments. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 Aug 2018
An ITSM program evolves from subpar to superb
How do you go from 'lousy' systems and subpar services to an ITSM program that is driving a service approach across the enterprise? CIO Link Alander gives us the details. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
29 Aug 2018
Cybersecurity education: North Dakota preps future workforce
North Dakota's CIO is behind a cybersecurity education program that aims to get the state's students up to speed on the essentials of IT security. Continue Reading
-
Tip
27 Aug 2018
Building a service catalog management strategy: Where to start?
The IT service catalog is the foundation of an effective ITSM program, but it's a complicated tool and hard to get right. Here's some expert advice on how to get started. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Aug 2018
Deloitte CIO survey: Traditional CIO role doesn't cut it in digital era
New findings from Deloitte show CIOs are not evolving with the times. More than half are stuck in 'trusted operator' mode, which is quickly becoming obsolete. Continue Reading
-
Conference Coverage
16 Aug 2018
2018 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium: A SearchCIO guide
The 2018 MIT Sloan CIO Symposium was all about making good on an enterprise digital transformation strategy. Explore the strategic advice, emerging technologies and big ideas from this year’s roster of CIOs, MIT faculty and experts. Continue Reading
-
Feature
16 Aug 2018
Speed, service, solutions are CIO priorities for Arcadis IT exec
Heading into the final stretch of his first year as CIO, Justin Wright has strong ideas about how to make IT a better partner to the business. Read about his CIO priorities for people, processes and technologies. Continue Reading
-
Feature
16 Aug 2018
How to become a digital leader: A design company's blueprint
Arcadis CIO Justin Wright explains how IT is working in tandem with the business to make the firm a digital leader for its construction industry clients. Continue Reading
-
Feature
16 Aug 2018
Digital transformation in the construction industry will rock status quo
Arcadis CIO Justin Wright talks about digital transformation in the construction industry and what his firm is doing to protect clients from being disrupted. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Aug 2018
GE rumors highlight digital culture hardship for CIOs
The rumors that GE is putting pieces of its vaunted GE Digital unit on the chopping block spread like wildfire. True or not, here's why CIOs should be taking notes. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Aug 2018
Report on Alexa-enabled devices puts spotlight on voice commerce
Not many people buy things using Amazon's Alexa-enabled devices, a new report contends. What does that say about voice commerce and how the enterprise uses voice computing technology? Continue Reading
-
News
26 Jul 2018
The nine roles you need on your data science research team
Data science research has become an essential element of modern companies' success in the digital economy. Here's how to build a data science team to get the most bang for your buck. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Jul 2018
McAfee CISO: The importance of a strong cybersecurity culture
For McAfee CISO Grant Bourzikas, building a strong cyberdefense culture is essential because employees are the first line of defense to avoid rapidly evolving cybersecurity risks. Continue Reading
-
Feature
24 Jul 2018
McAfee CISO: Leadership buy-in essential to boost cybersecurity
As online risks continue to evolve, making sure company leadership buys in to efforts to improve cybersecurity posture has become essential, says McAfee CISO Grant Bourzikas. Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jul 2018
Innovation leaders must learn to 'co-create' the future
Harvard's Linda Hill explains what makes leaders of innovation successful, starting with realizing their primary role is as stage setter, not top-down visionary. Continue Reading
-
Feature
17 Jul 2018
CIO roles: Developing 'safe and sound' IT systems
Digital transformation is having a big influence on the evolution of the CIO role. For one CIO, responsibilities have expanded into ensuring the 'safety and soundness' of IT systems. Continue Reading
-
Feature
11 Jul 2018
When running IT like a business, consider the bagel shop
Ciena Corp. CIO Craig Williams expounds on the importance of running IT like a business and how to identify the type of IT people who can execute on that strategy. Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2018
Three capabilities all leaders of innovation possess
Harvard's Linda Hill tells IT execs at LiveWorx that in order to be leaders of innovation they need to champion three things. One of them is 'creative abrasion.' Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jun 2018
CIO position: Evolve conference shows many ways to manage IT
The recent Evolve Technology Conference's Outlier Award program revealed varied takes on IT management philosophy and approaches to the CIO position. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jun 2018
Transformational leadership needed to pursue data-driven ethos
California State University's first chief data officer talks about why transformational leadership is needed now more than ever. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
19 Jun 2018
Putting tech ethics to work is the right thing to do
That cool new app might bring in a fortune on the market, but what are the human and social implications? The time to think about tech ethics is now. Continue Reading
-
Feature
14 Jun 2018
Six barriers to digital transformation; CIO strategies to conquer them
CIOs are under pressure to help companies find their digital mojo, but challenges abound. Learn about the top six barriers to digital transformation -- and how to vanquish them. Continue Reading
-
News
07 Jun 2018
The future of work requires a new C-suite
CIOs, get ready for C-suite 3.0, where corporate chiefs will have to break out of their silos to future-proof the enterprise. Continue Reading
-
News
31 May 2018
Recruiting talent for digital cultures: Tips from McKinsey, Korn Ferry
The C-suite's penchant for hiring in its own image prevents companies from creating a digital culture. Another barrier: assuming HR can find the right people. Continue Reading
-
News
29 May 2018
MIT CIO: What is digital culture, why it's needed and how to get it
Creating a digital culture is essential in the age of information, but companies must not lose sight of their core values in the process. Two tech execs show how they're doing it. Continue Reading
-
News
22 May 2018
Indeed.com releases top 10 most in-demand CIO skills
Job site Indeed.com has released a list of the most in-demand skills for today's CIOs, based on job postings. Experts I talked to said 'most in-demand' doesn't mean most valuable. Continue Reading
-
News
10 May 2018
Four CIO strategies for finding the business ROI in emerging tech
IT execs from Yamaha, Union Pacific, the city of Las Vegas and UL share their CIO strategies for deriving business benefit from emerging tech. Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2018
Corporate IT rebrands its modern role: Reduce complexity
The days of corporate IT as a back-end function with its practitioners relegated to the basement are long over. But IT strategy in 2018 has its own host of challenges. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Apr 2018
The CIO voice in the boardroom: Skills needed to get there
At a recent webinar, IT leaders discussed the factors driving the absence of a CIO voice in the boardroom and highlighted the skills they need to earn a seat at the table. Continue Reading
-
Tip
13 Apr 2018
How to measure usability when selecting an RPA tool
If an RPA tool isn't user-friendly and isn't built for the long term, chances are the dividends won't be immediate. Read this before choosing your RPA tools. Continue Reading
-
Tip
12 Apr 2018
Enterprise digitization's secret ingredient: Fusion teams
Cross-functional or 'fusion' teams are critical to meeting fast-changing digital challenges. Here are the four must-have team attributes for successful enterprise digitization. Continue Reading
-
News
06 Apr 2018
Voice computing goes to work with Microsoft Teams addition of Cortana
Microsoft is integrating Cortana into its Teams collaboration platform. Will it be the baby step voice computing needs to gain traction in the enterprise? The jury is out. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Mar 2018
Box CIO talks IT innovation and pressures in an 'all-cloud' environment
Box CIO Paul Chapman discusses the demands of running IT at a company that was 'born digital' and why an 'all-cloud' environment doesn't preclude having to manage legacy IT. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Mar 2018
Digital transformation for insurance: Idaho firm opts for HCI
An Idaho-based property and casualty insurance company has swapped out its VMware infrastructure and separate storage systems for hyper-converged hardware from Scale Computing. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Mar 2018
From phishing attempt circumvention to AI, new CIO has a big job
As the new CIO at Snow Software, Alastair Pooley is taking on a range of priorities, from helping the business to recognize a phishing attempt to exploring AI for customer support. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Mar 2018
Conversational AI: Start by enlisting the big vendors
It's time to develop a conversational AI strategy, according to Gartner analyst Svetlana Sicular. Her advice: Stay focused on the business case and lean on the AI platform vendors. Continue Reading
-
Guide
27 Mar 2018
IT Priorities survey predicts 2018 IT strategy for tech pros
In TechTarget's annual IT Priorities survey, information technology professionals across industries provide a glimpse of their 2018 IT strategy plans and pet projects. Continue Reading
-
News
21 Mar 2018
Daniel Pink: How the science of timing can boost productivity
At the recent Gartner Data and Analytics Summit, best-selling author Daniel Pink urged digital leaders to follow the science of timing -- and spread the word. Continue Reading
-
News
09 Mar 2018
Data and analytics strategy: Lessons learned from spy agencies
Analyst Jim Hare of Gartner offers five ways to turn your company's data and analytics strategy into a competitive advantage by studying what our spy agencies do. Continue Reading
-
Feature
28 Feb 2018
Startup thinking: CIOs face challenges tapping entrepreneurial spirit
Startup thinking is something CIOs and their enterprises hope to incorporate, but they must consider the rigors and challenges of embracing startup culture. Continue Reading
-
Answer
28 Feb 2018
What is 'ground truth' in AI and deep learning?
'Ground truth' is the bedrock of AI and deep learning. Carnegie Mellon professor Tom Mitchell explains the term and its significance with an example from healthcare. Continue Reading
-
News
28 Feb 2018
Survey: Customer service chatbots aren't crowd-pleasers -- yet
A recent survey by Chatbots.org found that less than half of consumers find chatbots effective. What does that mean for CIOs trying to integrate the technology? Continue Reading
-
Tip
28 Feb 2018
How to create the best RPA architecture
Enterprises are embracing robotic process automation to automate rules-based, repetitive tasks in a cost-efficient manner. ROI depends on having the right RPA architecture. Continue Reading
-
News
26 Feb 2018
Cloud, app dev highlight IT budget management priorities for 2018
TechTarget's exclusive 2018 IT Priorities survey sheds some light on IT budget management plans for the data center, cloud projects and hybrid technologies. Continue Reading
-
News
07 Feb 2018
Study: CIO and CTO execs, procurement pros ID common pain points
An Insight Enterprises survey of CIO and CTO executives and procurement professionals finds agreement between IT and business operations on typical technology pain points. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Jan 2018
Architecture firm taps AEC technology to drive digital strategy
Arcadis CIO Justin Wright's pioneering use of architecture, construction and engineering technology brings buildings to life -- and the firm's digital strategy up to speed. Continue Reading
-
Tip
19 Jan 2018
IT areas of focus in 2018 include outcome-based security services, data lakes
Rahul Singh, managing director at IT outsourcing advisory Pace Harmon, dissects the 2018 trends in three important IT areas for CIOs. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
10 Jan 2018
In digital era, CEO's job is to score with tech
Lisa Pearson, chief exec at data analytics company Umbel, discusses the CEO's job -- ever-slanting toward tech -- in a time of the "superpower consumer." Continue Reading
-
Feature
09 Jan 2018
CIO: Adaptability essential to modernize IT structure
Darin Morrow discusses how he achieves one of his primary goals as Cricket Wireless CIO: Ensuring the company's IT structure defines and continuously improves business processes. Continue Reading
-
Feature
05 Jan 2018
CIO plans for AI projects in 2018 push the envelope
SearchCIO interviews with leading IT executives suggest continued strong investment in AI projects -- and an important role for CIOs in developing an enterprise-wide AI strategy. Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jan 2018
CIO goals and IT resolutions for 2018
Seven CIOs plus one chief digital officer give us a glimpse of their technology plans for the new year. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jan 2018
Top IT guidance for CIOs in 2017 underscores urgency of digitization
Digital transformation and the need for speed, scale and clear communication were the big topics explored in our top 10 CIO advice columns of 2017. Continue Reading
-
Feature
30 Oct 2017
Hyper-converged infrastructure solutions hit the mainstream
HCI technology is expanding beyond its original niches in virtual desktop infrastructure and video storage, taking an expanded role in the corporate data center. Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 Oct 2017
Enterprise IT infrastructure: Outsource or upgrade for CIOs?
Intent-based networking and other emerging technologies offer new approaches to enterprise IT, but some CIOs are seeking innovation in cloud computing. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Sep 2017
How GE digital transformation won over the sales force
A major part of the GE digital transformation is getting its 25,000 salespeople on board as it rethinks its vast commercial sales function. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
31 Jul 2017
David vs. Goliath no more, Agile adoption is the new standard
As Agile adoption grows, companies should not be looking to specialists to support agility, says Joseph Flahiff. Make Agile coaching a standard job requirement for team managers. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Jun 2017
Run a hackathon event that pays off -- and draws women
IBM Watson Health's chief scientist explains how a hackathon event can pay dividends for a company, provided it's run right. Plus, advice on how to get more women to hackathons. Continue Reading
-
Feature
16 Jun 2017
The future of workplace structure: Cross-functional teams, AI impact
The digital workplace, including the CIO shop, is moving toward cross-functional collaboration, greater openness to outside contributors and the uptake of artificial intelligence. Continue Reading
-
Tip
12 Jun 2017
CIO strives to tie cloud metrics to business value
As CIOs gain experience in cloud computing, the cloud metrics they use are changing. Read how one CIO makes business value a priority in deciding which cloud services make sense. Continue Reading
-
Feature
31 May 2017
Former Apple CEO discusses AI, leadership and experience marketing
Former Apple and Pepsi CEO John Sculley discusses how disruptive technologies and leadership styles are influencing industries far beyond IT. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
27 Mar 2017
The new products development process and IT innovation
Most people don't know what their company's business objectives are. But for IT to contribute to a successful new products development process, your team needs to know. Continue Reading
-
Tip
24 Mar 2017
Two IT leadership strategies that made me a successful CIO
A new way to prioritize IT activities and an epiphany about leadership made all the difference in Niel Nickolaisen's career as an IT leader. Read about these two IT leadership strategies. Continue Reading
-
Tip
14 Mar 2017
Break the bottleneck with this new IT/business engagement model
CIO teams need to interact more directly with business stakeholders -- from the digital sophisticates to the digital naïfs. Here are five elements of a new business engagement model. Continue Reading
-
Tip
09 Mar 2017
The power of positive four-letter words to unlock employee potential
Four-letter words like can't and don't crush an employee's potential and quash creativity. Have the courage to use positive four-letter words and watch what happens. Continue Reading
-
Tip
20 Feb 2017
Product line management is fundamental to the new IT operating model
Digital transformation requires CIOs to rethink the way IT operates. At the center of the new IT operating model is product line management, explains CEB's Matt McWha. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
06 Feb 2017
Reporting lines for the CDO role: Context counts
The chief data officer (CDO) role may be gaining influence, but a lingering question that both public and the private sector organizations have yet to answer is: Who should CDOs report to? ... Continue Reading
-
Guide
30 Jan 2017
A comprehensive guide to enterprise IoT project success
IoT is changing the enterprise forever. Learn how in this Essential Guide, and get tips for getting your enterprise IoT project off the ground. Continue Reading
-
News
29 Dec 2016
Teaching leadership to Millennials? First, get used to them
Teaching leadership skills is critical in a changing world, MIT's John Van Maanen says, but coaching Millennials comes with unique challenges. Continue Reading
-
News
22 Dec 2016
Becoming a strategic CIO
Strategic CIOs create customer value, improve profit and enhance shareholder value. According to Phil Weinzimer, they jumped through four high hoops to get there. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
28 Nov 2016
To be leaders, technical professionals must move beyond IT expertise
Technical professionals sometimes flounder when adapting to leadership roles. Here are the four critical skills that they must strengthen to become high impact business leaders. Continue Reading
-
Guide
16 Nov 2016
Key IT metrics: A CIO guide
As technology and the business evolve, so do IT metrics. In this Essential Guide, learn how to navigate KPIs, IT investment and cloud cost optimization techniques. Continue Reading
-
Photo Story
20 Oct 2016
DevOps capabilities vary widely by industry vertical
DevOps isn't the same from one IT shop to another, let alone from healthcare to retail IT. Some verticals rise higher than others when it comes to agility and communication. Continue Reading
-
News
14 Oct 2016
Samsung Note 7 disaster a CIO parable about quality assurance
Reasons for the Samsung Note 7 disaster are not fully known, but experts are certain of this: A shoddy quality assurance process can kill you. Also: Gig economy up; PC orders down; Amazon stores a-coming. Continue Reading
-
Guide
07 Oct 2016
From blockchain to RPA: A look at cutting-edge tech and the enterprise
Cutting-edge tech has become a competitive advantage. Here's four technologies that should be on your radar. Continue Reading
-
Tip
30 Sep 2016
Become a change agent: Stop procrastinating
Don't be like the white-haired bride and groom who put off the big event until they could afford it. Now is the time for action, says organizational agility expert Joseph Flahiff. Continue Reading
-
News
27 Sep 2016
Macro trends HP is tracking: Urbanization, globalization, demographics
HP Inc. CTO Shane Wall weighs in on three big macro trends that are shaping the company's long-horizon strategy. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
05 Aug 2016
Intel CIO hire puts spotlight on IT gender gap
This week, Intel's executive IT ranks saw a shift from one woman CIO to another. But that doesn't mean the gender gap has closed -- far from it, in fact. In this week's Searchlight, Executive ... Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Jun 2016
Delegator vs. micromanager: What kind of boss are you?
Being a delegator is one of the hardest jobs for a leader. Joseph Flahiff explains. Continue Reading
-
News
20 May 2016
How three digital leaders overcame resistance to change
Digital leaders at CBS, IBM and SAP point to culture as one of the biggest digital transformation hurdles. Here's how they prevailed. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
22 Apr 2016
Intel's job cuts a sign of PC's metamorphosis; keeping cool during a cyberassault
Intel just announced that it's cutting 12,000 jobs in a restructuring effort that shifts focus away from PCs and onto growing technologies like wearables and IoT. In this week's Searchlight, Site ... Continue Reading
-
News
06 Apr 2016
Instagram roundup: Disruptive business models, digital investments
2016 Fusion CEO-CIO Symposium caught on Instagram: Follow along as senior news writer Nicole Laskowski chronicles sessions on disruptive business models and digital investments. Continue Reading
-
Tip
29 Mar 2016
Three keys to a good business reorganization
The typical reorg evokes fear, stress and suspicion -- and kills productivity. Here's how to change that. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
29 Feb 2016
The four facets of an Agile PMO
The Agile project management office (PMO) leverages the centralized portfolio management team to deliver on projects and products faster, said Michael Nir, president and founder of Sapir Consulting ... Continue Reading
-
Tip
23 Feb 2016
8 free IT budget plan templates for CIOs
Creating a reliable IT budget plan is no cinch, especially in today's digital age. Here, we've rounded up free, customizable IT budget templates to help. Continue Reading
-
Feature
29 Jan 2016
Internet of Things: Food safety apps set to emerge
Food safety could emerge as a key application for the Internet of Things in the coming months, providing real-time visibility in the vast food supply chain. Continue Reading
-
Feature
19 Jan 2016
Assessing the cost of private cloud
The high cost of private cloud requires a ton of due diligence on the part of CIOs and business partners. Continue Reading
-
Tip
22 Dec 2015
Writing a statement of work? Here's what you should include
A project's success can hinge on having clear and specific details about it. Download this free checklist to see critical elements of a statement of work. Continue Reading
-
Tip
16 Dec 2015
Free statement of work template examples for CIOs
Statements of work are critical in helping CIOs keep projects on track and meet business goals. Check out these free statement of work template examples. Continue Reading
-
Tip
25 Nov 2015
How organizational agility will save and destroy your company
Aiming for organizational agility? Prepare to change how you scope work, structure teams, develop talent, practice leadership, and deliver and sell your products. Continue Reading
-
Opinion
13 Oct 2015
Pixar president on why building a 'fail fast' culture is hard
The duality of failure, IBM's bet on cognitive computing, and the difference between a data officer and an analytics officer: The Data Mill reports. Continue Reading
-
Feature
15 Sep 2015
Delving into an enterprise IoT initiative? Read this first
From the business problem to the technology, here's what CIOs need to know to get started on an enterprise IoT initiative. Continue Reading
-
Tip
31 Aug 2015
Larry Wall's programmer virtues and 'vices'
IT pros who are lazy, impatient and hubristic are just what CIOs need. Gartner analyst Danny Brian explains why in this SearchCIO tip. Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jul 2015
The platform business model: An introduction
Airbnb does it; Uber does it. What about your organization? Sangeet Paul Choudary lays out the fundamentals of the platform business model. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Jul 2015
McCormick spices up food market with digital platform business
Former McCormick CIO Jerry Wolfe talks about his role as CEO of the spice company's new tech spinoff and why a digital platform is so essential to reaching today's foodies. Continue Reading
-
Blog Post
22 May 2015
The logistics of a 'bossless' workplace; dated security practices endanger companies
Imagine never having to report to a boss or supervisor again. Sounds great, right? Well, not all the employees at Zappos think so. The company's controversial new holacracy system enforces ... Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2015
The secret to becoming a 'digital master'? Close the IT/business gap.
Capgemini's Didier Bonnet shines a light on how businesses are mastering the digital transformation: The Data Mill reports from the CDO Summit. Continue Reading
- Feature 29 Apr 2015