back to article From Tony Stark to Iron Man: Building tomorrow's IT chief

The proliferation of smartphones, tablets and apps means everyone everywhere has an opinion about IT. Some experts believe the rise of interest in technology is a good thing – but for IT professionals, this attention creates a problem. While knowledge about devices has been democratised, the actual creation of tools and …

  1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Eh?

    Quote Contemporary IT staff, in short, must more time talking and technology professionals who climb the all-important career ladder will be expected to “engage” with end users, customers and external providers.

    So you really mean...

    Contemporary IT staff, in short, must spend more time talking and technology professionals who climb the all-important career ladder will be expected to “engage” with end users, customers and external providers.

    Isn't the trend that the farther up the PHB ladder/greasy pole you get the more divorced you are from:-

    1) Customers

    2) End Users

    and

    3) Reality in general.

    All you really care about is the bottom line of your team and how it look wrt others so that you get another three months of job continuation.... Until the next company re-org that is and if you have played your cards rights (viz lick the right boots) you can be moved up and get the key to the executive washroom.

  2. PaulAb

    I'm up for it!

    In my previous rarified roles as IT Visionary and thought leader (Titles I found on Google).

    I always made sure that my staff talked respectfully to all customers, internal and external.

    That all the ongoing IT and communications developments were transmitted up and down the business chain in a thoughtful and provoking manner and that trends in the wider business were broadcast via my staff.

    This new perception in IT thinking sounds like a payrise to me, I'm up for it!

    As a note: I tend not to speak to customers internal or external.........Can't stand the whining Thickos!

    More port anyone!

  3. tiggity Silver badge

    Communication Breakdown

    Quote:

    "Contemporary IT staff, in short, must more time talking and technology professionals who climb the all-important career ladder will be expected to “engage” with end users, customers and external providers. To do that, they must be able to communicate and collaborate."

    I must note that the section "must more time talking" rather fails in the area of communication quality

    1. PaulAb

      Re: Communication Breakdown

      Agree I

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "The new IT chief and you... the new IT chief is you"

    No, not with a 30 foot barge pole.

    I like coding stuff, I like solving problems, I like some people, and generally have reasonable people skills. However I have no desire what-so-ever to be responsible for whomever is foisted on me. I don't deal well with idiots. You can't train them up you can't use them for anything, so can only enter damage limitation mode. I swear this is why unit tests got so popular - park em on writing tests, and you can silently bin all their tests when they finally get fired/leave. No damage done.

    So, I'm not management material, and have no desire to be. Hence I went contracting and am now very happy living outside the hell you describe.

    Very very rare is the beast who is technically competent to make decisions, but also has the drive to reach the level of CIO/CTO in a major organisation. I've only met one. From what I hear John Carmack is another - but then he can hardly be classified as merely mortal.

  5. Potemkine Silver badge
    Trollface

    Collaborate with end users?!

    Over my dead body! :-P

  6. Anonymous Blowhard

    "Modern CIOs must not only maintain day-to-day IT operations but also manage the heightened expectations of a tech-savvy user base."

    I think you mean "Modern CIOs must not only maintain day-to-day IT operations but also manage the unrealistic expectations of a user base that believes owning a tablet and a smart phone makes them tech-savvy."

  7. TheOtherMe
    Pint

    IT Crowd

    Jen! Perfect example of putting non-IT people in charge of IT.

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