The Language of a Leader: the modern CIO

The modern CTO/CIO doesn't often get the luxury of being misunderstood. Their peer group requires well thought out, coherent (perhaps even elegant) language that is long on detail while, at the same time, short on technoese. Those of you who have experienced technical conversations between those speaking fluent technoese and lay business people know of what I speak.

Such conversations go something (albeit not always exactly) like this. The technoese speaking person starts off and the lay businessman/woman listens intently for the first 2 minutes hoping to become wiser and more in tune with technology. Soon, the blank stares appear followed by the glazed over expressions in their eyes, and finally a confused (if not angered) look on their faces. The techie has just lost their audience, but also their opportunity to gain buy-in for their idea or proposal.

Enter the CIO
This is where the modern CIO earns their money. Conceptually a CIO is hired to implement, manage, expand, streamline, and promote the best use of technology for the company. For many years though there was a hidden reason behind the CIOs vital role - to translate for their peers and provide a communications barrier between the technoese speaking minority and the business majority. That role is no longer a secret.

CIO job descriptions routinely include explicit language about their role as a top-level communicator. In fact, some larger corporations hire CIOs less for their technology skills and more for their ability to communicate, influence, sell, and manage others. Such a non-technical CIO/CTO can be dangerous also. The lack of deep seeded technology background has led to some very costly business decisions (I would like to use RBS as an example) - solutions are often sold that are not needed and, in reality, do detriment to the organization. In some cases the CIO/CTO lacked the technical background to understand the fine points involved in delivering on plans sold to a naive peer group.


It's the Audience - Dummy!
Having come into technology through the back door (I was a businessman before I was a technician) I learned, early on, the value of communication at all levels. One of the precepts to excellent communication is knowing your audience. Always make the assumption, when you are communicating with others (unless you can guarantee otherwise), that your audience knows less about the topic than you do, and that your audience is less technically conversant than you are.

Not to make your peers seem like morons, because they aren't, but you have to dumb down the technoese a little bit. Ease them into it, define your terms along the way into easily digestible bites. Remember, if you were in a room of actuaries you would probably come away feeling as ignorant of their lingo as they would be of yours.

Play it again Sam
Another key communication tool is to repeat what you just said. I actually refer to this as a reiterative tool. You don't need to become redundant in your conversation, but after you make several key points it is a good idea to put forward a quick summary of what you just said. In many presentations I actually paint high value targets 3 times so that at the end of my communcation everyone at least knows the main points.

Another reiterative tool is the follow up. If I am trying to get a plan or initiative put forward I find ways of tying it into other communications. Having stressed my points before, I subtely drop them into future emails, presentations, proposals and discussions.

In this way you will find that people pick up on the importance of a topic without feeling beaten with it. Remember, subtlety is key!

Killing the Messenger
If you have not heard this expression then you need to be aware that there are times that you will be communicating with hostile audiences. In ancient times when kings were sent messages that included unpleasant news they would often kill the messenger out of rage - thus the term "Don't Kill the Messenger" was coined. Such situations are unavoidable at times and you need to prepare for them.

Now - there are shades of gray here. In some cases the people in your audience are just simply not interested in what you have to say. In such cases you have to lighten the conversation, make it personal for them, and give them a sense of fellowship in your cause. An example of this would be going in front of your board of directors with a proposal requiring a bunch of treasure to expand your infrastructure. You should expect or anticipate a bit of ambivalence. The way you bring them to your point of view is to actually know them a bit - what are their key priorities for the company, what are the key initiatives they are discussing and how can your proposal help to accomplish them?

For the truly enraged audience there is little you can do but make your points and try to escape with your career. It seems blunt and a bit cynical, but sometimes you cannot calm people down. A case on point - giving a speech to a bunch of employees and telling them that this is their last day on the job and that you are closing the plant. If you expect cheers and hooray's then you must be heavily medicated. Sometimes there is just no good spin on things. Do you think that telling them "we are sending you on a very long unpaid holiday" will really make a difference?

Follow Through
Your communication is built on history. By that I mean when you have a dialogue your effectiveness is based on whether you have a history of delivering on what you have discussed and whether or not you appear knowledgeable in your prior communications history. People will remember the most amazing things - many of which are not what you wanted them to remember. So, keep in mind that everything you say will, at some point, come back to you - even if you change companies.

Once you become known as a person that paints a tainted picture you lose credibility. In this game we call life credibility is really one of the few things we have to offer. So, prepare yourself and be knowledgeable. You will require information from individuals and there are times you will have to trust that information, but due diligence is never to be abandoned for the sake of a quick response. It is better to delay what you want to say than to rush something into production that has a questionable amount of truth to it.

The old adage "it is better to be silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt" has a great deal of truth to it. So, be clear, be concise, review what you want to get across, be truthful, be effective, be sincere, review what you want to get across, summarize, emphasize, and you should review what you want to get across!!

Also Published on THE CTO FORUM

The Critical Path - Right Thinking, Right Decisions

Failure, in most endeavours, is a matter of effort. If that doesn't strike you as odd then you are one of the few who sees that while success is a matter of effort, so is failure. Look around you and you are likely to see a number of examples where projects, people, or companies purposefully fail. It isn't their fault, they just don't understand that their efforts can dig their graves as easily as build a foundation for success.

Chopping Wood

The first time I heard this term was during my first year at university.  The professor who extolled the virtues of hard work cautioned us against working hard without also working smart.  In his analogy he used, as an example, woodsmen.

Two woodsmen go out, each with the same type of axe, in the same forest, and each select a tree of comparable size.  The first woodsman comes to his tree and begins chopping at a furious pace.  No preparation needed, just slam at the tree with the axe and keep going in hope that, at some point it will be felled.  The second woodsman comes to his tree and the first thing he does is look at the way it is shaped, which side it is weighted on, and then he does something unexpected - he sharpens his axe. Quickly felling the first tree he moves on to a second, and then a third - returning to the lodge reconciled with the accomplishments of the day.

Which do you think achieved the better result?  In truth they both felled trees, but the first woodsman returned back to the lodge well after dark having sent chips flying everywhere with a single tree felled.  Exhausted, he sees the first woodsman relaxing and is nonplussed by the fact that he worked so hard to accomplish a lesser goal.

The purpose behind this professor's story (and one that I have never forgotten) was to provide students with a fundamental truth - preparation for the task has an impact on the overall success of the task.  Merely tackling the work is not a guarantee of success, and we can see that the definition of success is relative - clearly each of the woodsmen felled trees, but the second had a far better outcome.

The Road Not Taken

In 1915 Robert Frost wrote a poem called "The Road Not Taken" in which he described how following the road less travelled made all the difference.  It is one of my favourite poems and is an expression of unbridled individualism. What does this have to do with finding the critical path?  It has everything to do with it.

Many of us feel more comfortable treading the same path that others have taken - in most cases it has more to do with the perception that we are building on the success of others.  In reality it gets us accustomed to being the next mule in the train, rarely thinking and often just duplicating the work of others.

While it isn't a requirement that you be a trailblazer in order to create (or identify) the critical path, you cannot be afraid of it.  In fact, you have to be willing to embrace it.  Part of being successful on any mission is finding ways to do things that have never been done before - that is how technology has advanced so rapidly in the last 150 years.  Innovation can follow only two paths - finding a way to do something better than anyone has ever done it, or creating something new that nobody has ever seen, considered, or tried.

The Critical Path - Defined

So what is this critical path - I suppose that it is important to define what we are discussing, but most of you (if you have been in technology for any length of time) know what I am talking about.  The critical path, put simply, is the chain of events - from beginning to end - where all of the crucial markers exist.  It is like a journey of sorts - if you miss a key milestone you end up taking a detour that prolongs the journey.  Such a prolonged journey diverts vital resources from other endeavours - money, time, personnel, equipment, and so on.

Sometimes the milestones are not clearly visible.  A keen manager is aware of this fact and pursues the identification of such markers.  Seasoned project managers (and the ones most valued in any organisation) are experts at seeing the road signs hidden among the thickets.

Consistency of Purpose

At school as a boy I read a quote by Benjamin Disraeli that set my path in life (http://www.britannia.com/bios/disraeli.html) - "The secret of success is consistency of purpose."  This applies perfectly to The Critical Path.  The goal should define the purpose which in turn defines the actions one takes.  It is, after all, a chain of events that defines life, but in a less general way ultimately defines success for any task. Stray too far from The Critical Path and you find a jungle teeming with unknown perils.  That doesn't mean that you have to follow the same path as everyone else, and it does not mean that The Critical Path is the most safe.  What it does mean is that The Critical Path is the most efficient as well as the most productive chain of events in the process of task completion.

Staying on this path is difficult, and so Right Thinking is crucial.  So what are the keys to Right Thinking:

1. Know your own patterns of thought - some of us are quick on our feet, others require pondering to make good decisions.  Understanding how you think will help you make better decisions.
2. Be aware of what you are truly being asked to do.  Understanding the ultimate goal is fine, but understanding the subset of goals is just as important.  Break down a task into key components and prepare your tools for each.
3. Every stage is important. Think of flying an aeroplane - you took off safely, had a perfect flight, but the landing was terrible and everyone dies. Two thirds of the flight went perfect, but that doesn't mean you were 67% successful.
4. Borrow a brain.  You cannot be expected to know everything, and thinking this way is not only arrogant but it often ends up in self destruction.  Bring people on board who can add value and mental resources to accomplish an individual or overall goal - and don't be stingy with credit for good ideas.

Synopsis

There is no easy road to victory. Polybius (http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/L138.html) said it best more than 2000 years ago - "Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories."  As true today as it was then, your critical path is not just the road to success or victory, it is the methodology by which you build on one success after another.

Succeeding at one point along the way doesn't mean ultimate victory - it is merely one milestone toward ultimate success. The Critical Path in any project is not only the whole, but the sum of all the parts.

Everything as a Service - The Future of Cloud Computing

As IT professionals there are very few of us who have not heard of SaaS (Software as a Service) or AaaS (Application as a Service) and now the ultimate acronym EaaS (Everything as a Service).  If you are an IT executive and haven’t heard of at least one of these terms you might want to reconsider your role in the realm of technology.  These cloud computing solutions are here now, and it appears that they are here to stay.

THE MARKET
Much discussion has taken place about the future of cloud computing, the types of applications that can be turned into outsourced or hosted solutions, or even the complete dismantling of the current technology environment by virtualizing everything.  HP, and other companies, are betting heavily on the future of cloud computing.  Over the past few years HP has acquired more than 10 different software companies in an attempt to position them as the market leader in the EaaS market.  Such venerable institutions now under the HP banner include Mercury and Opsware.

But what is the true future of cloud computing?  Thinking long term has never been a strong suit of large companies like HP or IBM.  They are positioning themselves to capture market share, not to expand the realm of cloud computing service offerings.   The true pioneers in the EaaS market space are smaller companies like Evolution CE (specializing in Open Source Cloud Computing) and researchers (such as those working on solutions like SnowFlock http://www.scs.stanford.edu/~rumble/papers/LagarCavillaEurosys09.pdf), who are taking cloud computing solutions to the next level.

THE FUTURE – SORT OF
The ability of software systems to intuitively predict user behavior, or assess corporate computing needs, is indeed the future of cloud computing.  Running applications or software across the internet, even across secure pipelines / VPN / SSL is being done and has been done for the past few years.  ADP (the world’s largest payroll solutions company) has had a cloud computing solution across VPN for at least 3 years and it is widely used.  But, the real future for cloud computing is the true virtualization of scalable systems across geographical boundaries.  Intuitive in nature, such systems would be easily replicated, duplicated, or failed over by design.  This “cloud clustering” concept is in the proof of concept stage in test facilities in the United States.

Not only would such systems be available as a human interface, but manufacturing systems could be operated globally. Via complex and intuitive intelligent computing General Motors could simply allocate that 25,000 of a certain vehicle be built and the system would instantaneously calculate which factories around the world had the capacity and would then analyze cost data to determine the overall cost (including logistics) for distributing such vehicles from the various locations.  An incredible feat that is currently handled manually because the global computing systems do not exist which can control robotics, MRP systems, shop floor systems, etc… in a seamlessly integrated worldwide solution.

GLOBAL CLOUD COMPUTING
Think of a cloud environment as a single computing center and then combine various virtual computing centers around the world where resources are drawn as needed – computing center “A” is too busy so computing center “B” is chosen as the next resource in line.  It is the ultimate in virtual load balancing.  Likewise, virtual storage centers can be set up as virtual “SAN’s” across the globe.  Instead of load balancing one hundred servers in an operations center you end up load balancing one hundred cloud computing environments.  The end result - Everything as a Service, available around the globe, all of the time, with literally unlimited storage and computing power.  This creates a seamless interaction between end-user and application in which available resources can be allocated globally.

Such geographically dispersed environments have tremendous advantages.  For one, disaster recovery becomes moot.  Unless the entire planet is stricken by some malevolent force or a global catastrophe wipes out all life on the planet it would be virtually impossible to destroy the computing needs of a going concern.  And, if such events did occur there would be few of us left to really care about whether or not Tata Motors could still operate its robots.

THE PIPELINE

That sounds idealistic and even unrealistic, but when you think about it the technology nearly exists today to make such systems a reality – the right combination of innovation and investment could bridge the gap quickly.  There is only one problem that has yet to be solved, and it has been the bane of internet based technologies at every level – BANDWIDTH.  The truth about cloud computing is that no matter what service you offer, nor how large the operations center, getting information to flow is based on bandwidth and it comes at a premium.

Need more storage capacity in your operations center – go buy another NAS.  Need more processing power – go buy another server or upgrade.  However, you cannot just add another internet connection.   At some level you simply run out of pipe – the fiber is completely utilized, there is no more copper, and satellite bursting is very pricey.  It is an infrastructure issue that can only be solved by laying more fiber-optic cable, adding additional routing, and finding more efficient ways of streaming packets of data from point “A” to point “B”. 

REBELLION
Archaic laws also need to be beaten into the dust.  Data storage laws that prohibit information from transcending national boundaries need to be re-examined.  The old way of thinking whereby “They that control the data control the power” is outdated.  The true power comes not in owning the data, but in doing something with it.  Truly distributed and virtualized data architecture actually fosters the integrity, security, availability, and redundancy of data.

Under the pretense of protecting confidential information, governments around the world – yet again – fail to tackle the actual problems of securing data.  A hacker is little deterred by the fact that data sits in France instead of Thailand.  And, there is little evidence (ok there is no evidence) that shows any one country does a better job of securing data than any other country.

TRUE INNOVATION
Innovation in cloud computing cannot just stop at providing software to a customer; it has to expand into providing “A SERVICE.”  If we truly are reaching the point where there is an “Everything as a Service” offering then we must expand what we mean by “Everything.”  Currently most companies like HP really mean ALMOST EVERYTHING as a Service.
Virtualization of existing client-server platforms is far from innovative and in this race - the cloud computing race - it will be the innovators with the best products on the most diverse platforms across the most dispersed area that ultimately succeed.

Also published on THE CTO FORUM