Technology leadership – Focusing beyond just the newest tools, breakthroughs

By Chuck Piccirillo, special to LTW

Editor’s note: This is the latest "Executive Insight” column, a weekly feature for Local Tech Wire as part of its partnership with the Triangle Technology Executives Council and MMI Public Relations. Chuck Piccirillo is the founder and managing partner of TecExecs (www.tecexecs.com), a provider of technology leadership, best practice consulting and solutions enabling companies to unleash greater returns from their technology investment.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - What do executive technology leaders need to do to increase the value businesses derive from their technology investment? As people move up in the organization and find themselves sitting in the CIO/CTO/VP seat, it is tempting for them to devote significant time to the technology. After all, it is exciting to come up with the next breakthrough technology such as Google or Facebook, or innovate with cutting edge technology, or be the one to solve that technically challenging problem holding up the next release.

While all of these are important, leaders must focus on areas that will raise the overall performance and impact that the technology organization makes on the business, customer and shareholder. Today more than ever, it is essential that technology leaders ensure an increasingly greater value and return from the investment made in technology, whether it is through IT or product software.

In my more than 25 years of experience in the field, I have found that by focusing on 10 key areas, the successful technology executive establishes a technology organization and operation that can predictably deliver a stream of high value features, functions and systems at a lower cost, and create a competitive advantage for the company. These areas focus on strategic business alignment, people, customers and operation performance—leaving innovation and development to the company’s technologists.

This article will explain the first five areas and a later article will complete the list.

Strategic Technology Plan

Starting with a strategic plan that aligns all aspects of the organization with its business strategy is essential. A strategic technology plan forces the executive to take inventory of the assets, liabilities and gap closure tactics needed to achieve the short and long range objectives of the business.

This plan must cover the transformation of applicable areas such as:

• Technology
• Critical core skills
• Methodologies
• Technology partnerships
• Outsourcing
• Performance measures and targets

Most important, the executive must use this plan to clarify the organization’s vision for where it is going and how it will get there based on clearly-defined objectives.

Talent and Culture

An executive who places a high priority on establishing the right culture and talent can unleash a significant amount of increased productivity in an organization, often without spending incremental dollars. The successful executive knows how to align people’s strengths, passions and aspirations with the business’ needs and direction to maximize intrinsic productivity and employee satisfaction.

When hiring, the executive should look beyond an individual’s technical skills and seek talent capable of leadership in whatever role they play. He or she should create dual career ladder and succession planning to provide opportunity for both technologists and organizational leaders alike. Throughout this process, the executive should constantly coach, mentor and provide recognition for behaviors that align with the desired culture.

Governance Model

With the governance model, the executive ensures that key stakeholders are engaged in the technology investment decision-making process. They manage the portfolio of applications and corresponding revenue growth that is derived. The governance model should create a review form to maintain the right investment balance among enhancements, maintenance and implementation improvements.

The executive establishes this cross-business council to set direction for the program, deliver on defined business cases, and receive the guidance and support needed for team success.

Customer and User Focus

Not only should an executive spend time with customers and users, he or she should also foster a customer focus throughout the organization. It is important that the executive create a bridge from development, sales, operation and technical support to the customer. Establishing a partnership between the customer and development is necessary for communication and understanding required for the creation of successful new solutions.

Technology Roadmap

As an element of the strategic technology plan, executives should map out where the core technology needs to go and when the base capabilities will be in place before getting into the details of new features and functions. This serves to set a solid foundation for the technology organization and also gives an idea to everyone of what is coming down the road.

When the business develops its multi-year pro forma financials, the roadmap provides valuable input regarding the technology investment.

This first article in a two-part series covers the five strategic and organizational aspects of where the technology executive should focus his or her time. The second part will shift attention to operational aspects.

By devoting their time and attention on these 10 areas, technology executives will raise the overall productivity, predictability and effectiveness of the technology organization in close alignment with the business strategy and the executive team. Too often executives focus heavily on innovation and development. However, when these 10 areas are given proper attention, a company finds itself realizing ever increasing returns from its technology investment.

About the author: Chuck Piccirillo is the founder and managing partner of TecExecs (www.tecexecs.com), a provider of technology leadership, best practice consulting and solutions enabling companies to unleash greater returns from their technology investment. Previously he was the interim CEO and vice president of technology for etrials, and he has more than 20 years of executive technology leadership experience in small, midsize and Fortune 100 companies.

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