CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7 - 37

teams on what we are trying to achieve, how we are
managing the risks of two-speed IT, and what we
are accomplishing.
One of the key success factors for me has been
working hand in hand with our CMO on our agile projects
and making sure Marketing and IT collaborate well.
Everyone needs to understand the new agile approach
and the business needs that we're trying to meet. Just
two years ago, the two teams operated in isolation.
Marketing had a requirement and threw it over the
wall to IT. When you're incorporating faster, flexible IT
development, it's critical that IT and the business are
100% aligned. IT brings an understanding of what is
possible and how to best deliver it, while Marketing
brings an understanding of what customers need. In an
ideal situation, there's a healthy day-to-day discussion
about what to do next. Of course, that's not easy to do
every day, but that's the goal.

AGILE IT, AGILE LEADERSHIP
Another thing we've learned is that the agile model
is something more than a different IT development
methodology. It requires different skills and
competencies, different decision-making processes,
different ways of communicating with both our business
partners and our external customers, even a different
management style.
For example, there were some areas where we
underestimated our resource requirements, so we had to
expand. You just have to be conscious of the changing
conditions and be ready to take a different course.
Ultimately, this is a journey with a fairly clear
destination but with an uncertain route. You can try to
prepare for it, read articles about the model, and engage
consultants, but ultimately the only way to do it well
is to get started and course-correct over time. Just as
agile development demands continual adjustment, so
does incorporating high-speed development into the
traditional IT organization and into the enterprise as
a whole.
If you think you know all the answers up front, you're
doing it wrong. You can't pre-define this transformation.

2015

You have to be an agile leader to make it work.

Digitalization and the Need for
Women IT leaders
Most people these days appreciate the benefits
of diversity. People of different backgrounds,
ages, experience, or gender bring a variety of
perspectives to a problem that is likely to result
in more innovative solutions than the point of view
of a homogeneous group.
But beyond the general benefits of diversity are
some specific reasons that I believe we need more
women in IT leadership roles now.
Let me say first that I've never encountered
any hindrances in IT because I am a woman. I was
very often the youngest member-and the only
female-in an all-male team. I also had no technical
background when I started working. I was an
economist, with a MSc. in Business Administration.
But I ended up spending 18 years of my career in IT
project and change management. During this time,
I've never felt at a disadvantage because I don't
have a technical background.
In fact, I found the most important asset for a
career in technology is the ability to change.
And the most important competency as an IT
leader is the ability to lead a team through
change. As we move through this era of digital
transformation, a period marked by fast change
and the need to constantly adapt, that flexibility
and agility is even more important.
Generalizations are risky. But I would say that
while men are often better at engineering and
long-term planning, women are often better at
understanding business needs and adapting to
change. These characteristics are complementary
within an organization. But as digitalization
accelerates the rate of technology and business
change, the ability to adapt to change - to lead a
team through change - will be especially valuable.
Consequently, I regularly encourage women to
seize leadership opportunities emerging from the
era of digital transformation.

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CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7