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Running Head: The Future of IT Management: A Directory Position Description for a Senior IT
Manager.
Module 3 – Case Assignment
ntroduction
The future of information technology (IT) management is quickly changing. The role of
an IT director is now more dynamic than ever before. Gone are the days when an IT manager’s
office was hidden away somewhere near the organization’s data center and his role was mainly
the supervision of the technical staff. Today however, such job description for an IT manager is a
thing of the past. The role of an IT director is more dynamic. This paper begins with an overview
of who is a CIO, followed by a discussion on the CIO’s position description and concludes with
an overview of the education and experience the CIO should possess.
The CIO: Organizations today whether large or small public or private know the
importance IT plays in getting ahead of their game. Nowadays, majority of companies are using
IT services to help their businesses grow and earn substantial profits (Rampur, 2010).
Information technology however, can only create growth both in business and profit if in the
organization there is a strong presence of IT leadership. Since IT is a wide concept, it needs to
be managed and coordinated, which is carried out by a professional known as the Chief
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Information Officer (CIO) (Rampur, 2010). The CIO who is sometimes referred to as the IT
director is an executive who is considered a significant part of the top management of a
company. He/she is responsible for overseeing, managing, and coordinating all aspects of the IT
department in an organization. Generally, he is supposed to report to the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of the company, but may report to other executives depending on the management
hierarchy of his/her organization (Rampur, 2010).
The CIO Position Description: This person is one who will have multiple IT
responsibilities and likely manage multiple IT units. Since the CIO is the head of the IT
department; he/she has to develop, execute, and manage computing and information technology
strategies of the company (Rampur, 2010). Therefore, he/she must not only focus on the
technical and short-term aspects of IT but more so, on the strategic and long-term aspects of the
organization’s IT. This person should possess the knowledge and ability to develop strategic
plans and be able to align IT with business operation to advance the company's mission and
objectives and to promote revenue, profitability, and growth in his/her organization. In his/her
organization such person has to play the role of a policy maker. For example he/she will have to
suggest and implement IT policies for employees, contributing to increased data security
(Rampur, 2010).
As head of the IT department the CIO will be expected to manage and supervise the IT
staff in the organization. This therefore means that a healthy interpersonal skill is required of
such person. Another very important skill that is required in this capacity is good communication
skill. The CIO should not only focus his/her communication skill on disseminating instructions
downward, but such person should also have the ability to communicate upward and laterally.
Communication is truly the IT project's 'breakfast of champions' (Myers and Guzman, 2007).
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Not only is oral communication important but for the CIO good writing skill is a must, since
he/she will have to communicate with others both inside and outside of the organization through
written documents. Integrated in his/her oral and written communications he/she should possess
some amount of persuasive skills. This is because as an IT director one has to often gain
influence and support for IT (Myers and Guzman, 2007).
Similarly to his/her influential skills an IT director should also possess positive political
skills and should use such skills to the betterment of the organization’s IT and the organization as
a whole. Such person should be able to quickly identify the political landscape of an organization
so that he/she will know how best to apply his/her positive politics.
A CIO is expected to approve budgets. This means he/she must also possess good
financial skill. Also a CIO has to ensure that IT-related annual operating and capital budgets do
not extend the limits prescribed by the management (Myers and Guzman, 2007).
Included in an organization management team the IT director should possess good
leadership and managerial skills. Such persons should be a motivator, team builder, organizer,
coach etc. Much of what managers and supervisors do is solve problems and make decisions
(McNamara, n.d). The ideal CIO should possess strong problem solving skills and should be able
to make critical decisions when it is necessary. The hallmark of good supervision is effective
delegation. Delegation is when supervisors give responsibility and authority to subordinates to
complete a task, and let the subordinates figure out how the task can be accomplished
(McNamara, n.d). The ideal CIO should possess the behavior of an effective delegator. In
addition to managing and leading others, a good manager should also have the ability to manage
oneself. Self management is a significant attribute of a good CIO.
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Education and Experience: The ideal CIO should possess at least ten years experience
in an IT management position in a medium size or large organization. He/she should have a good
track record in successful IT project management. He/she should have a strong technical
background in the deployment and smooth running of IT in an organization. Such a person
should have experience in management multiple IT units. Such an individual should possess
knowledge of and experience with implementing socio-technical projects. The ideal CIO should
possess at least a Master degree in information technology management from an accredited
institution, preferable TUI University.
Conclusion
In an organization a CIO is part of the organization’s management team. This means he
will be interacting both with senior executives as well as subordinates on a daily basis. A CIO
should therefore possess effective people skill, good management and leadership qualities.
He/she should also possess relevant education and possess several years of relevant experience in
the IT management field.
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References
McNamara, C. (n.d). Free basic guide to leadership and supervision. Free Management Library.
Retrieved November 5, 2010 from
[Link]
Myers, K., Guzman, I. (2007). Is your next IT project scheduled for failure? Retrieved
October 25, 2010 from
[Link]
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Rampur, S. (2010). CIO job description. [Link] Retrieved October 28, 2010 from
[Link]