Planning Your CIO Conversations for 2018

Earlier this month, Gartner unveiled its 2018 Gartner CIO Survey, which summarizes what is top of mind with CIOs moving into 2018. The respondents were 3,160 CIOs from 98 countries and all major industries, representing approximately $13 trillion in revenue/public sector budgets and $277 billion in IT spending.

So what did they have to say?

The first thing that sticks out is that CIOs are routinely driving business outcomes in partnership with business leaders. In years past, CIOs have spoken about their struggles to gain a seat at the table with business owners and their challenges in trying to align with the business.

Today, at least 84 percent of the CIOs surveyed say they now have responsibility for areas outside traditional IT and many reported they are close to an “ideal balance” with more focus on business outcomes rather than IT delivery. Their roles are transitioning from controlling costs and engineering processes to driving revenue and exploiting data.

For 2018, 26 percent of CIOs surveyed say their No. 1 priority is growth — to use digitized products and services to drive new forms of revenue, business value, and customer engagement.

Yes, CIOs have come a long way from the data center. And their jobs have become more challenging than ever. They have to manage more change and complexity than ever before, evaluate a steady stream of new technologies and vendors, and navigate an ever-shifting landscape of skills and talent. Plus they have to make sure all the basic infrastructure is up and running—and that everything is safe and secure.

What does this all mean for those of us who are in the business of helping CIOs?

Well for one thing, it means that the percentage of CIOs exclusively focused on “keeping the lights on” is falling. The pivot to growth as a main focus of top CIOs opens the door to more sophisticated business conversations and solutions—ones that some CIOs may not have been ready for just a few years ago.

That’s not to say that everyone is there yet. Gartner noted that some are “trailing” when it comes to digitalization, so there are CIOs out there who are still mainly “keeping the lights on.” It could be challenging to engage this type of CIO around a broader business transformation vision when they are still operating in survival mode.

So how do you know who’s a leader and who’s “trailing,” or at the very beginning of their digitalization journey? You can usually tell by doing some homework on the company and the CIO you are targeting. Look at what the company’s executives are saying on earnings calls. Does the CEO call out technology, innovation and digital as investment priorities? Or is the focus mainly on cost cutting? These things can give you a clue as to how you should focus your conversation for maximum relevance.

Be Prepared for Constant Change

Finally, if you are targeting CIOs, prepare to live in a state of near-constant change. Why? Because that is their reality; 95 percent of CIOs surveyed by Gartner expect their jobs to change, thanks to digitalization. For those of us who want to help them, it means we need to keep up—and keep on coming up with ideas and solutions for helping them meet their business goals.

The CIO Agenda in 2018

Gartner says that a CIO’s agenda in 2018 will vary depending on their industry, and they offer several examples.

Higher Education

Higher ed CIOs recognize that key organizational priorities are enrollment and student success, but struggle to leverage technology to innovate, differentiate and win. The majority (59%) think there will be significant business model change due to digital transformation.

Automotive

CIOs must help their companies grow faster and improve profits. What’s on their minds? They are investing in the Internet of Things and analytics, but face talent shortages as they try to push their companies to become digital-first operations.

Retail

Retail CIO agendas reflect the existential threat to many retailers, caused by digitally enabled consumers, new entrants and new business models.

Government

Government CIOs are expected to bring transformative change to their organizations, while pursuing compliance-oriented priorities. They need to know how to balance risk and innovation to support digital transformation.