The CIO's job is about relationships

Nobody told you that to be a good CIO, you have to remember how people feel. And despite the sterile conditions that often exist in the IT department, letting people know how they are doing at work is just as important as getting the job done. "Building relationships is one of the strongest skills sets related to leadership effectiveness," Jean Leslie, a researcher at the Center for Creative Leadership,told CIO Magazine recently. "Managers with experience building relationships are seen as more effective." And that's why you can never let your department operate on auto-pilot. Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn once said, "If you want to get along, go along." I think it's important to modify this idea slightly. If you want to get along with everyone, you must listen. And when your staff raises the red flag about an issue, you better take it seriously. There are other skills that cannot be forgotten, and they have nothing to do with IT. In a recent CCL study, nearly every one of the 250 executives surveyed said that collaboration is critical to success. And that means not turning a deaf ear to an idea that may not be your own. It does not matter if you are the CIO or the CFO. There are management practices that cross lines and make a good workplace a better one. -Judi