How CIO's Can Look Good At Board Meetings

With sales and profits down, and pressure of budget cuts and layoffs up, how does a CIO look good?

"Add Value To The Organization". It's an old phrase that applies in these tough times more than ever. The success consultant, Brian Tracey, talks about this often as a way to increase earning power. But it also makes even more sense for a top executive to keep this at the forefront in tough times.

So how can a CIO add more value? - simply by focusing on the pillars of the organization: increasing sales (especially short-term cash flow), increasing market share, and lowering costs. We like to call short-term value as "quick wins".

What are some ways for quick wins? On the sales side, it might be identifying some good upselling product relationships. If coffee drinkers also like chocolate chip cookies, then a "bundle" price can be established and instantly start gaining more revenue. On the cost side it might be a small department where software license fees can be cut by easily changing over to open source software. Or maybe a real-time prediction system that cuts raw material ordering quantities. Or maybe it's moving to a SAAS application.

By creating some "quick wins", a CIO can be on the offensive at an executive committee meeting, and who knows, maybe even gaining extra budget funds. Its' time for CIO's to be next in line for the CEO position.