The role of CIO (Chief Information Officer) has been around for decades. However, the role often suffers from an identity crisis. At its conception, the role was to serve IT or information systems and data processing. However, changes for this role over the years are dramatic. For example, according to Balance Careers.com, CIOs must keep up with constantly changing technology, but now skill requirements might include:

Reading through the 37+ pages of research for this article, it became clear to me that the problem with problem solving is that there are too many ways to solve problems! Logic leads us to the conclusion that if there are so many ways to solve problems, why aren’t more problems being solved or better yet, why aren’t problems being prevented? One issue has to do with the way we think about problems.

Raise your hand if you have been in a downsizing, lay off, or right sizing event. If you’re reading this and you’re older than 12, your hand is no doubt high in the air. With less and less loyalty today on both the employee and employer side, it is likely to happen at some point in your career. No company is immune to resorting to such measures. An added catalyst today is the plethora of mergers and acquisitions. Companies don’t need two of the same position; for example, there can only be on compliance officer, one CHRO, one CFO, one COO, etc. Turnover is expensive and outplacement has its price. However, the cost of not doing outplacement may be costlier than you think, here’s why.

People often think that mixing analytics and talent management is like mixing oil and water. To some managers talent management is equal to getting a bunch of third graders to stand in a straight line, keep quiet, and do their assignments. Unfortunately, some may still have that mindset. Data analytics can help managers and organizations find, hire, and manage talent better than ever before. 

The consummate leader is strong, stalwart, unbending, needs no help, and [OK insert sound of a needle scratching across a record here]. The leader above is a dinosaur if indeed such a leader ever did exist. A true leader is the opposite.

Let’s Exercise

A popular leadership training exercise is to have participants list the qualities of their favorite leader or boss and the qualities of their worst. This exercise is revealing to say the least. Today, leaders are more enlightened. Not! Recently, I had a coaching client whose manager kept a jar on his desk with a phrase printed on it. The phrase read, “Employee Ashes.” While many people might brush this off or even find it humorous, the sight of this jar with its message was having an adverse effect on my client. In addition, the manager had a management style befitting the phrase on his beloved jar. In fact, this jar and her boss’ management style evoked such feelings in my client that she and I were working to find her a new job as quickly as possible.     

The ongoing disconnect between business, HR, and IT is legendary and many managers and even some executives may believe this thrilling threesome has nothing in common. Business can no longer operate without good talent management and HR can no longer be effective without IT. Why do these three bickering siblings need to get along for a more successful future?

CEOs focus on strategy and must also ensure their organization is financially sound. There is another critical concern and that is talent. The savvy CEO is the one who understands the importance of hiring good talent, ensuring a good fit, and then continuously developing that talent. Good talent pulls organizations through the good times, tough times, major changes, and navigating a crisis. But the CEO cannot and should not take on the talent task alone. One of the major partners in the talent effort is HR. However, the CFO should also be a part of that talent task triangle. Having these two partners in place is a great benefit to the CEO.

Job shadowing is often good for young people considering a profession. A company allows an individual to come in and job shadow a person in marketing, or HR, or a chef, an attorney to help the new job seeker to see if the job or industry is a good match for his/her interests. Organizations would be wise to consider implementing job shadowing. However, job shadowing does have its detractors.