CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7 - 75

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realize that the culture of a firm

members transparency into what IT is

is the underlying success factor in

doing, and that gives them a sense of

delivering effectively against those

assurance in meeting their fiduciary

key performance indicators. So we

responsibilities. In some cases, a

let them know what we're doing to

board member may ask me to come

motivate our workforce or improve

explain things to him individually

our Net Promoter Score.

and in private so that he can be best

Seeing Red

equipped to make decisions and ask
questions during the board meeting.
In addition to the openness, they

As board members review the

appreciate the brevity, simplicity, and

scorecard, they discard all the green.

ease of use. At the same time, it is

The simply don't have time to waste

meaningful information.

reviewing those things that are going

But behind that simplicity is

well. They give their attention to the

massive complexity. It's difficult to

red statuses first and ask the CEO-

build and track and report all the

whom I brief-why something is red

data necessary to deliver a concise

and what the prognosis is for getting

and digestible scorecard. It's not easy

it to green.

to populate. You have to make sure

For example, one of our biggest

you're tracking the right things. That

programs is a ZAR 12 billion rand

doesn't come overnight. We worked

(US $830 million) next-generation

over many months to develop our

network project that we are

own system for producing the report.

implementing over a five-year period.

There's a whole machine and system

It's the most capital-intensive project

behind the matrix to gather data,

we've embarked upon and will bring

monitor system performance, review

fiber connectivity to every home and

incidents, and scrutinize projects.

business in the country. It involves

You must resist the urge to boil

significant coordination among 25

the ocean on these issues, but rather

project managers. And if any project

get to the point on them. Why is this

stream is off track, it shows up as

project in trouble? How will it be

amber on the balanced scorecard. If

resolved? I always tell my fellow CIOs

we miss a target date, it's red. If the

that board members don't care about

board asks why, for example, we are

the labor pains, they just want to see

delaying the rollout into the eastern

the baby. You should be able to cover

Cape region, we can go in and

everything in 15 minutes-what the

explain why.

issues are, what commitments you

Nowhere to Hide

are making to resolve them, and when
you will report back to the board on
your progress.

The balanced scorecard has been well

Once you have a prototype

received by our board of directors and

scorecard in place, it's important

corporate leadership. It gives board

to take it to the CEO and ultimately

Companies listed
on the Johannesburg
Stock Exchange are
required to monitor
and assess IT's
performance in areas
ranging from network
security to capital
investments.
CIO Straight Talk - Issue 7

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