Meaningful Decision-Making During a Prolonged Crisis

The Detroit CIO community came together virtually to discuss the current work climate, best practices on working from home – and John Hill even shared the screen with his new goldendoodle puppy! It wasn’t the typical way this group usually sees each other in an Evanta setting, but this group is still as lively as ever. As Michigan prepares to re-open businesses and re-engage the economy, the Detroit CIO community discussed best practices and how to prepare for the future of work.

Ahead of this virtual town hall, Detroit CIOs took part in a survey about the business implications brought on by the pandemic, which revealed the following:

46% reported that business operations are severely restricted 

38% expect to return to standard business operations in the next 3-6 months

38% expect to return to standard business operations in 12+ months

100% expect a disruption in new projects over the next two weeks

The conversation was led by Mark Guthrie, IS&S Director & CIO, AM General; John Hill, CIO & SVP, Business Planning, Carhartt; and Regina Salazar, Vice President & CIO, North America, Whirlpool Corporation. Each panelist brought a unique perspective to the conversation and shared candid thoughts about what to expect in the next few months of work. 

Assume Remote First

Going forward, “assume remote first” with your workforce – pivot to in-depth teaching and guidance on how to effectively work from home. One CIO brought up this idea of “assume remote first,” and the other panelists quickly agreed that this should be the new way of thinking. Whether it is with employees or customers, COVID-19 has shifted the way of thinking, and now companies must provide more digital offerings and be aware of the implications for travel, physical offices and other environments that put employees and customers at risk. 

What is the Shape of the Crisis?

It is difficult to project the shape of this crisis – V-shape, U-shape or a stretched-out L-shape recovery period. It will differ by industry, and strategic responses will vary accordingly. One CIO commented that we don’t know what the future is going to look like, and there might be different paths for the crisis. Teams must continue to be agile and innovative in finding new ways to connect with customers and supporting the incident response within their organization.

Continuing to Grow

IT is in position to lead the business in ramping up digital technologies and putting an intentional focus on business growth with a connected workforce. While the shift to working remotely was unexpected, most of the panelists felt that they have successfully migrated to remote work and are now thinking of new and innovative ways to accelerate the digital agenda. It is the technology department’s time to be in the limelight and continue to push forward projects that were suspended due to the demand in getting employees set up productively at home. 

Re-Evaluating Business Priorities 

Executives are re-evaluating 2020 priorities based on the business cases for them. It’s important to protect digital investments from budget cuts to ensure future capabilities. One CIO mentioned during the discussion that going forward, his team is going to prioritize projects based on the business case and value proposition. During this time of disruption, he noted that IT should take a lead role in the transformation efforts and have an intentional focus on growing the business and communicating with the workforce. 

Be Authentic 

All three panelists agreed that it is of the utmost importance to be present. To support your team’s emotional well-being – be authentic, inject your personality as a leader and look for ways to depressurize the situation. One leader’s organization has banned all meetings from 11:30 – 1:00 p.m. to ensure a midday break for personal and family time. All found it reassuring to know that they are going through this together, and the panelists agreed that communication and authenticity with your team right now will help you come out of this crisis stronger together.

by CIOs, for CIOs

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