6 Mistakes to Avoid as a New CIO

by IT Executives Council | Oct 24, 2022 | Professional Growth & Careers

The big day has arrived.

You have worked hard your entire professional life achieving the goal of becoming a CIO. Several years of school combined with extensive hands-on IT experience have prepared you to reach the summit of your career.

You probably have heard how the first 100 days of an American presidency represent the most crucial period for making a positive impression. The same principle applies to executive positions such as a CIO. How you handle the first 100 days goes a long toward determining the success of your tenure.

Although there is not a blueprint for developing into a successful CIO, you can get off to a strong start during the first 100 days by learning the six mistakes to avoid in your new position.

1) Too Many Changes

When IT professionals welcome a new CIO, they expect some changes to the department because of the fresh perspective brought in by a new leader. However, making too many changes in the first 100 days might alienate some, if not most of your IT team members. Before implementing changes, evaluate the impact of each change, as well as the risk factors and the results of not implementing the changes.

You want to avoid change saturation, which means you need to prioritize the changes according to organizational needs.

2) Status Quo for Personnel

The impulse for a new CIO is to avoid conflict with the members of the IT department. One of the most common reasons why conflict arises concerns the layoff or termination of an employee. You might feel the need to avoid conflict by maintaining the status quo for personnel, but you need to conduct an objective review to determine which team members bring a toxic personality to work and/or underachieve at their positions.

3) Not Understanding the Company Culture

You are chomping at the bit to implement new strategies that enhance the performance of your IT department, but before you get your hands dirty, you must understand the company culture. This is especially important for a new CIO coming from outside the organization. Renowned management expert, Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

Although you should focus on your 100-day plan, you also should spend time assimilating the company culture by getting to know your executive peers and IT team members.

4) Underestimating the Role of Politics

As a leader who possesses advanced technical skills, you expect your new job as a CIO to involve addressing the technology issues faced by your organization. In a perfect world, the strategies that you develop should be fact-driven methods for achieving success. However, politics plays a role in the decision-making process, and it is up to you to discover the hidden agendas that drive decisions.

“Rookie CIOs underestimate the internal politics involved in a C-level role,” says Jeff Stovall, who is the industry executive director with Oracle and former CIO for the City of Charlotte, N.C. “There are often hidden agendas and initiatives that do not show up in the official company strategy.”

5) Lack of Mentorship

Leadership studies often include measuring the impact that a mentor has on a protégé. Finding a mentor to guide you on your journey as a CIO should be one of your primary objectives right out of the starting gate at your new executive position. Olivet Nazarene University released a study discovering that 76 percent of the professionals polled considered working with a mentor either “important or very important” for the development of their careers. Unfortunately, fewer than 50 percent of those surveyed stated they were currently the beneficiary of a mentor relationship.

Finding a mentor can help you make the transition into your new role as the CIO. A mentor can help you assimilate the organization’s culture, as well as identify which issues involve at least a little bit of political posturing.

6) Avoid the “Me Against the World” Complex

One of the temptations of a new CIO might be to take on every new responsibility by flying solo. The intent is to demonstrate that you can address any technical issue and solve every complex problem. Nonetheless, you should be more concerned about achieving positive results than the way you want to achieve them. You not only need the guidance of a mentor, but also the support of allies throughout the organization.

This includes other C-Suite executives, as well as the most influential members of your IT team.

The Bottom Line for New CIOs

You have spent your entire professional career learning new concepts and developing the most important leadership skills. Just because you have ascended to the role of a CIO does not mean the learning curve has reached the end of the road. Perhaps the biggest mistake of all to avoid is to convey the attitude that you have reached the pinnacle of success, which means there is nothing left for you to conquer.

Treat your new CIO position like you have treated the rest of your career. Always search for new IT concepts to learn and new leadership skills to develop.