Chapter 6
The First 30 Days
Executive Summary
As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Remember that nobody really cares about technology—they care about what technology can do for them. Listen carefully to your new colleagues, figure out what they need, and then try to deliver solutions that address their needs. You can't change the world in 30 days, but you can find quick wins that will demonstrate your abilities and your understanding of the business.
Back in 2003, Michael Watkins wrote The First 90 Days. It's a great book, and most of the successful senior executives I know have a copy of it tucked away on a bookshelf.
For better or worse, people begin judging a new CIO immediately—there is no honeymoon, no grace period. You walk in the door and people expect you to perform miracles. It's all part of the IT mystique—the curse and the blessing of modern technology.
When you're the CIO, you're living in an accelerated universe. Everybody wants something from you now. So you need to be prepared, you need to be ready, and you need to know what you're going to do before you walk in the door.
That's the reality of being the CIO in today's hypercompetitive economy.
