Perhaps no other executive position experienced as dramatic of a transformation during the COVID-pandemic as the CIO. The quick transition from conducting business in the workplace to doing everything remotely required CIOs to optimize their adaptation skills to create as smooth of a transition as possible. For many CIOs, the transition became successful enough to follow a more hybrid workplace moving forward, which means establishing technology tools for employees to use in the workplace, as well as when they work remotely from home.
The dramatic workplace transformation caused by the pandemic also placed CIOs under the direct scrutiny of board members that wanted to receive regular updates concerning the implementation of the new office paradigm. If CIOs wanted more engagement before the pandemic, they certainly got what they wanted when workplaces shut down across the United States and the world. Despite the new focus on CIOs from board members. Engagement has yet to make the same smooth transition as the technology used to foster the growth of the remote workplace.
Khalid Kark, who is the US CIO Program Leader for the international consulting firm Deloitte, says that despite more interactions with board members during the COVID-19 health crisis, “CIOs need to engage better with boards.” Kark’s assessment is found in a new report released by Deloitte called “Technology and the Board Room: A CIO’s Guide to Engaging the Board.” The report discovered that many businesses do not devote the financial resource that they should to stay on top of the rapid technological changes that inevitably develop. To address the concern, an increasing number of boards target directors that possess a strong technology background, including former CIOs that act as the communication conduit with current company CIOs.
As Kark emphasized in the Deloitte report, “Every CIO needs to find those ambassadors that they can relate to engage with the board,”
Tips for CIOs to Improve Engagement with Board of Directors
The ever-changing role of a CIO now includes learning how to engage board members. Let’s see how a few simple tips can help CIOs improve the relationships that they have developed with board members.
Be Prepared
Discovering how each board member views technology is one of the key factors for CIOS to develop stronger professional relationships with every member of the entire boardroom. Each board member probably possesses a slightly different perspective of the role of technology than other board members. Assuming board members respond to technology in the same manner diminishes any attempt of improving engagement.
Being prepared involves conducting research that reveals each board member’s technology experience, as well as their familiarity with new technology processes.
One-on-One Interactions
An effective way to ascertain the experience and familiarity with technology processes of each board member is to meet with each one individually on a regular basis. CIOs can expect to elicit more helpful responses when interacting with individual board members than meeting in a group environment such as an annual board meeting. Encourage questions, as well as describe your vision for implementing technology changes within the company.
Emphasize Technology is One Mean to an End
Some board members might become skeptical about how the impact of technology influences the success of the company. It is the CIO’s job to connect the dots, so to speak, by presenting technology topics in easy-to-understand terms. A CIO also has to demonstrate how the addition of new technology positively impacts the company in many ways, including returning a healthy return on the investment made on technology.
Reach Out to Technology Advocates
Since a growing number of boards have recruited members with some technical background, it makes sense for CIOs to target those board members to become advocates for addressing technology issues. For example, having a board member promote your plans for improving the technological infrastructure of your company can influence other board members to support your vision.
CIOs should find the board members that possess some technological acumen and interest by reviewing each member’s corporate profile.
Guide Board Members
As the modern CIO becomes more of an influence on board members, guiding board members in regard to technology topics can help build the level of trust that improves engagement. With technology topics intimidating even the most accomplished board members, guiding each one through difficult concepts can motivate each member to encourage more engagement with CIOS outside of a boardroom.
The Bottom Line
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed CIOs into the corporate spotlight due to the transformation of the workplace. Because of the new attention paid to CIOS, corporate board members expect more engagement outside of boardrooms. Because CIOs have become indispensable members of the executive team, the time has arrived for them to learn how to better engage with corporate board members.
Additional Resources
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