CIO Wisdom: Best Practices from Silicon Valley

by Dean Lane, Inc And Change Technology Solutions, Valley CIO Round Table Silicon

Book Overview

Bringing together answers from 20 of the world's most successful senior IT executives, this work is based on their extraordinary private discussions over five years. It covers all facets of IT... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0131411152
• ISBN13: 9780131411159
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

CIO Reference Manual

As a CIO I though CIO Wisdom hits the nail on the head on many of the challenges and issues facing today's CIO's. Sound and practical advice from those actually performing in the job was quite refreshing to the theoretical approach found in many other books on this topic. I only wish that many of my customers (business line leaders and executives) would read this book to better understand the value of IT can bring to our organization. My only critique is that some of the concepts discussed in the book where not fully flushed out when the author was talking about solutions. Of course there have been entire books written on some of the topics covered in CIO wisdom. I was particularly impressed by the Communications, Governance, Marketing and the Business Intelligence chapters.

Superb compilation of knowledge & experience

The seventeen articles in this compendium represents contemporary and topical subjects, each written by a seasoned CIO. I was as impressed with the selection of articles as I was with the content because each topic is foremost on the minds of CIOs and senior IT managers today.Among the articles I especially like are:- The First 90 Days, by Mark Egan, which contains actionable plans that will get the new CIO (or other senior IT executive) quickly moving in the right direction.- IT Organization, by Guy de Meester, in particular the challenges of centralization vs. decentraliztion, and organizational models in general. If this area is your focus I highly recommend additional reading: "Decentralization: Fantasies, Failings, and Fundamentals" (ISBN 0964163535) and "RoadMap: How to understand, diagnose, and fix your organization" (ISBN 0964163527), both of which go into great detail and provide an exceptionally effective approach.- Governance, by Danny Maco, which is conspicuously missing in organizations large and small - or is often done incorrectly if done at all. - Budgeting, by Bob Denis, Maureen Vavra, John Dick ... you'd think IT has this basic function under control, but sadly not. Read this article for excellent advice.- The Metrics of IT: Management by Measurement, by Shel Waggener and Steve Zoppi. One of my favorite topics, and this team provides outstanding advice and keen insights.Other articles are as well written, and span topics from architecture to strategic planning. Taken as a whole, this is a sourcebook that is filled with both knowledge and experience, and should be on the desk of every CIO, seasoned and new. I also recommend visiting the site that supports this book (paste the ASIN number, B0001EHNFK, into the search box for all products on this page). The site contains additional articles, news and other books in this series that CIOs, IT managers at all levels, and subject matter experts will find useful.

Putting Offerings into Right Perspective

Although this book is primarily targeted to IT-leaders or those who intend to become one I'm sure this book is also highly valuable for all CEOs and Marketing and Sales VPs of startup companies who are tarketing established corporations. This book will give them guidance to put their offerings into right perspective by giving insights about CIO's success strategies and challenges. And the structure of the book makes it easy and enjoyable reading for busy executives - from the first foreword to the last chapter.

Chock Full of Good Stuff...Better Than Chocolate!

I found the book all encompassing and a real learning in so many ways. It gets to the heart of IT and the P A I N that most of us who have lived in the mix of the many stories of the... day in and day out world of IT. I recommend the book to multiple roles in organizations and mainly to those at VP and Director positions who are not necessarily IT. Engaging other other functional areas of the organization to read it would give a wake-up call to those who continually "kick the cat" called IT! Scintillating! A great writing of how important "Listening" is to making an organization work together. I found it worthwhile every "page of the way" in moving the "world of an organization" forward and the book more than directs YOU in that journey. I wish I had this book 15 years ago, it would have made life alot easier.

The best compilation of what it takes to be a great CIO

The book is a wealth of advice not only valuable to the CIO position but to the executive team and the Board of Directors as well. Fox's chapter on communications is the most enlightened tour of what it takes to build a great IT organization that is in alignment with the internal and external parts of the enterprise.The advice parallels Harvard Professor Kanter's admonition that "communication is the key". Businesses must make the free flow of information and knowledge a priority. If lines of communication are poor, employees at the lower levels feel cut off from the decision-makers at the top. Excellent read!