NOVEMBER 2017CIOAPPLICATIONS.COM8IN MYVIEWmagine for a moment a CIO that has no technological training or background. Such an individual would go about managing his or her department quite differently than the majority of CIOs who come up through the ranks of IT. This person would likely rely much more heavily on those around them to achieve their goals and would likely focus on the big picture. They would also be more inclined to empower every individual within the organization to take personal responsibility for their use of technology and information. Lastly, if this person had a business background, they would likely understand that their success would be predicated on their ability to articulate their vision for digital technology throughout the organization so that others could follow.It's hard to know whether such a CIO would be successful. But within this hypothetical, there are important lessons to be learned. It's easy to forget as we try to implement new technology, software, systems and processes that our success as CIOs will ultimately be determined by how effectively the people within our organization can use the technology we provide and execute the processes we put in place. The problem is, with rapid advancements in technology many people find it hard to keep up. The pace at which technology is constantly changing is outpacing the speed at which employees can absorb the knowledge and use it to their benefit. The farther people fall behind, the wider the proficiency and productivity gap becomes. As a result, it is extremely important for CIOs and technology leaders to shift from a focus on the technology they are implementing to a focus on the people using it. They must take a human-centric approach to IT. In order to build this type of infrastructure within their companies, CIOs must rethink how their own departments operate and where they fit within the larger corporate strategy. SANKARA "VISHI" VISWANATHAN, CIO, DAY & ZIMMERMANNA HUMAN-CENTRIC APPROACH TO IT ISankara "Vishi" Viswanathan
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