The CIO's job--by the book or not?

You could do your job as a CIO by the book, and get by. Or you could excel at the job, and you would shine. The problem is that for most CIOs, an ordinary job doesn't always work anymore, not when competitive forces are nipping at your heels every day of the week. CIO Magazine's 7th annual survey of CIOs found that many believe that the job is so complex that it is often difficult to find out what you should be doing, not to mention how to do it. Some of the 558 survey respondents are doing quite well. Others have no idea how to navigate their way in this brave new world. Nobody likes to be in this difficult position, least of all the CIO.

So here are a few tips. Stop talking about innovation and return on investment (ROI) and do something about them. Strong CIOs don't just cast around for a solution. They implement them. 

The survey also found that those responding were making an average of $237,360, a 28 percent increase from last year's $185,240. But that wasn't the only good result of the survey. More than 82 percent of respondents said that aligning IT and business was their number-one activity. And while that is basic CIO 101 material, the CIO must move on from that idea to wrestling the other monsters in his job to the ground.

It's important to get on track with everyone else and to stay there and produce. "If other senior executives don't see you as one of them, you usually can't change their minds. You have to realize that," says Roger Parks, vice president of information technology and CIO at J.R. Simplot, a $4.2 billion agribusiness.

For more on crafting your job as a CIO:
- See this CIO Magazine Article