Chief information officers (CIOs) require both leadership
and execution,to successfully implement IT governance, according to Gartner.
and they understand that executing governance programs involve process,
discipline and creativity.
Good governance is about control while great governance
is about guidance and competitive advantage. One of the most important
functions of governance is to provide controls that prevent chaotic or reckless
behavior on the part of the organization and its people. Organizations with
good IT governance enjoy benefits such as increased business value of
IT-related assets. Strongly governed organizations receive 20 percent higher
return on assets,” said Tina Nunno, vice president distinguished analyst at
Gartner.
However, controls alone do not guarantee competitive
advantage, particularly if they stifle the ability to innovate. Leading CIOs
incorporate innovation and competitive advantage into their governance systems.
CIOs with great governance create competitive advantage
by embracing emerging technologies, innovation and, most important, the concept
of calculated risk. As governance becomes more mature, it becomes less
bureaucratic.” Nunno added.
Leading organizations that do governance well, have fewer
governance mechanisms and lighter processes because they have learned to work
together well and have a shared understanding of the business priorities. Less
mature organizations need more controls to create focus and deliver business
results.
Gartner analysts said that to deliver successful
governance CIOs need to manage two dimensions of governance. First, governance
is a decision-making framework that reflects the organization’s goals and
priorities, and how the organization intends to achieve them. Second,
governance processes, covers the structures and methods the organization uses
to execute and institutionalize the governance framework. In essence, the
framework is what the organization has decided, while the process is how the
organization will institutionalize those decisions.
CIOs also need to bear in mind that the ability to fill a
recommended role varies with an individual’s skills, interests and the
enterprise environment, with some people performing adequately and others doing
much better. If current roles do not match the tool’s recommendations but
governance still delivers expected benefits, CIOs should not make any
adjustments – because outcomes always come first.
In addition, integrated communication is important to
governance decision input and decision execution. However, failing to
communicate is a common governance pitfall. Governance bodies struggle with
decision making when they lack appropriate information.
Stakeholders, in turn, struggle to comply with poorly
communicated decisions. To facilitate and communicate decisions more
effectively, governance communications should use the same business outcome
metrics, prioritization scoring systems and milestone metrics throughout a
project’s life cycle. CIOs also need to inventory their communication tools
when they notice lack of compliance with governance decisions or excessive
revisiting of established decisions.
By Telecomlead.com Team
