The Transformational CIO: Leadership and Innovation Strategies for IT Executives in a Rapidly Changing World

Technology Last

We interviewed many CIOs to gather their impressions about the first 30 days on the job. When we read through the interview transcripts, we were struck by their complete agreement on one point: The technology itself is the last thing you have to worry about.

What emerged from the interviews was a clear sense that a new CIO must focus on building trust, building confidence, and building relationships—inside and outside of the IT organization—during the first critical weeks on the job.

“The first thirty days set the tone,” says Mark H. Griesbaum, a longtime CIO who recently became president of TCS Online Services. “They give the IT organization a sense of what is important to you as a leader. They provide the business with a sense of whether you grasp the company's key priorities and understand how IT can best meet those needs.”

Don't expect people to beat a path to your door just to shake your hand. As a new CIO, your top priority should be reaching out.

“Communicate, communicate, communicate,” says Mark. “Build relationships with your customers across the organization. Listen carefully to what people are telling you. Focus on what is critical to them, and remember why you were hired in the first place—you must have had a set of competencies that set you apart from your predecessor and from the other candidates who applied for the job.”

For a new CIO, says Mark, a key task is learning what the business needs. “Focusing on technology is the biggest mistake a CIO can ...