CASE STUDY April 23, 2007
A New CIO’s 100-Day Plan Setting The Stage For CIO Success By Lewis Cardin with Alex Cullen and Lauren Sessions
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When new CIOs start, they have to immediately create momentum and build credibility. credibility. High expectations are held by the business community, senior executives, and the IT organization itself — and starting off on the right foot is critical to managing those initial expectations. expec tations. To To manage this initial roller coaster ride, CIOs should create a “First 100-Day Plan.” Plan.” In 2002, Maurice Chénier was a newly appointed appointed CIO for a recently formed IT organization in one of the largest departments in the Canadian federal government, and his experience e xperience provides an excellent example e xample of using the “First 100-Day Plan” to build credibility. credibility. Now a Director General in the newly formed shared services ser vices organization, Chénier attributes much of his success to the creation and execution of the 100-day plan.
TARGET AUDIENCE Chief information officer
YOU DON’T GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMP RESSION CIOs face several challenges when they first start. ey need to get a handle on perceptions and expectations, pending business priorities, and an understanding of the current condition of IT financials and human resources. ere is a narrow window of time to get an assessment of what nee ds to be done in the early days, and stakeholders are impatient for visible signs of action from the new IT leadership. Faced with these challenges, the new CIO needs to determine what steps need to be taken in the short term to get initial momentum, translate that into a plan, and get consensus among all stakeholders for early action. Maurice Chénier, the former CIO for Public Works Works and Government Services S ervices Canada, provides a great example of how best to do this. In his first days as CIO, he knew that he had to quickly get in front of his stakeholders with an IT plan. Spending the first few months absorbed in planning activity with no tangible visible results wasn’t wasn’t going to cut it, and conversely, conversely, committing to a business plan, a strategic plan, and an enduring organizational and governance model with clear mandates and accountabilities within a few months in the role was impossible and irresponsible. irresponsible. Chénier knew kne w that the first 100 days in the position were critical to his success, succe ss, and he noted, “e “ e First 100 Days initiative is necessary for CIO success. It is not an option.”
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Case Study | A New CIO’s 100-Day Plan
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MAURICE CHÉNIER’S 100-DAY PLAN To flesh out his 100-day plan framework, Chénier conducted briefings during his first two weeks that set the stage for creating and evolving a 100-day plan. e purpose of these briefings was to:
· Construct the agenda for the 100-day plan. Draing the short-term plan template that made sense to the execs formed the basis for Chénier’s dialogue. Like a plan for a plan, this framework outlined high-level action topics and formed the basis for dialogue during the briefings. It also set the measures of achievement for the 100-day plan with stakeholders.
· Ensure that current assumptions were clear and valid. Chénier entered the role with a set of preconceptions about where IT was, and where it needed to go, in the enterprise. Confirmation of these assumptions with execs upfront meant no surprises during the execution of the 100-day plan.
· Baseline current issues and opportunities. e business community had perceptions of what needed to be improved in IT and where the prospects for IT impact lay. ese needed to be articulated in the plan as action items. e new IT organization itself needed to buy into and contribute to the plan — they, with the CIO, were a significant source of intel on the challenges to be met and opportunities to be identified and incorporated into the plan (see Figure 1).
April 23, 2007
© 2007, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
Case Study | A New CIO’s 100-Day Plan
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Figure 1 CIO 100-Day Plan ~ From the desk of the CIO ~
• Confirm CIO mandate Deputy Ministers • Develop functional roles and responsibilities − Value management office − Program office − Asset management − Strategy and planning − CoE Internet/intranet • Confirm linkages and relationships with IT client branches • Develop CIO organizational structure • Define human resources requirements • Draft “transfers-in” proposals from other branches of the client department − People − Budget amounts • Prepare draft CIO/IT budget/financial plan • Develop job descriptions for CIO and direct reports with human resources • Secure approval for financial plan/budget/FTE requirements • Develop IT governance model • Conduct maturity assessments for knowledge management • Draft value management methodology including stakeholder consultations required for governance • Conduct formal benchmark study
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Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
ESTABLISHING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE LONGER-TERM IT PLAN Chénier used his 100-day plan to establish his initial priorities — but its more important purpose was to build a foundation for the longer-term IT plan and for his management approach. e 100day plan initiatives needed to be stated in measurable terms, and presented in a task and status dashboard (see Figure 2). Chénier used the ongoing reviews on the progress of the 100-day plan as the forum in which he worked with business execs to shape this longer-term future. e initial discussions around inter-department relationships, governance, and the role of the CIO transitioned into discussions of strategy, value, and the leverage of IT.
April 23, 2007
© 2007, Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited
Case Study | A New CIO’s 100-Day Plan
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Figure 2 Executive Dashboard — First 100 Days Completed Major activity
~ In progress
Not started Progress
Meet all major stakeholders (internal and external) Establish weekly CIO management meeting
~ ~ ~ ~
Brief the Deputy Minister group on CIO role and governance Document first set of quick hits in a plan to be approved (set priority) Perform an HR assessment Initiate IT strategic planning Deliver a CIO communication strategy
~ ~ ~
Pilot value management and priority-setting processes Set up business and ICT management meetings Organize CIO best practices refresh Transition and scope down sector PMO and move toward enterprise PMO Deliver a monthly progress dashboard 41102
Source: Forrester Research, Inc.
RECOMMENDATIONS
YOUR 100-DAY PLAN WILL EVOLVE INTO YOUR 1,000-DAY OPERATING MODEL How new CIOs capitalize on the first 100 days is pivotal. Precedent is being set, and initial impressions are hard to change if the CIO has spent too much time focused inward, or appears to be operating with no clear agenda. As the CIO who wants to build durable IT momentum, you should:
· Let your business peers know you are listening. When you are taking the helm of an IT organization, you must start on the right foot with your business peers. You’ll need to learn their hot button issues, such as frustrations with previous IT leadership or expectations for IT responsiveness, because you’ll have your own requests for them — which could range from greater involvement in IT governance to asking for patience if you are i n an organizational turnaround.
· Establish your management style early. Use the 100-day plan to also attune your governance, mandate, and authority balance so that it lines up with prevailing management style and corporate culture. Engage your business colleagues in discussion and debate about the rationale behind your stance on the political aspects of your job — and why your point of view makes sense in terms of IT’s contribution to the business. After the handshake, you will have a strong supporter rather than a source of ongoing territorial dispute. Forrester Research, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORR) is an independent technology and market research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice to global leaders in business and technology. For more than 23 years, Forrester has been making leaders successful every day through its proprietary research, consulting, events, and peer-to-peer executive programs. For more information, visit www.forrester.com. © 2007, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Forrester, Forrester Wave, RoleView, Technographics, and Total Economic Impact are t rademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Forrester clients may make one attributed copy or slide of each figure contained herein. Additional reproduction is strictly prohibited. For additional reproduction rights and usage information, go to www.forrester.com. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. To purchase reprints of this document, please email
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