Last week I looked at the skills of a CIO and how the skills that were critical in climbing the IT ladder and becoming CIO are now a big negative. I was discussing this issue with a CEO and veteran of the IT industry recently and he had an interesting take on the struggles CIO’s have to be taken seriously in the board room. He felt the problem lay in CIO’s not generally being in the same social circles both professionally and socially as your typical board member. They don’t belong to the same golf clubs, live in the same suburbs and did not go to the same school. Therefore while they may get to the board on skills and intellect they fail to ‘fit in’ as they live in a very different world to the other board members and lack the social skills and mores that are required.
He has an interesting point. I have no intention to take up golf or go and live at Killara and have never been to a party hosted by the Packers, so I am not sure how best to address this problem. Having worked for 3 Japanese companies being able to play golf sure would be handy. Sadly I just can’t get interested in chasing little white balls around a mowed lawn no matter how much skill is required (or perhaps because I have no golfing skill what so ever).
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