Is our strategic plan called "doing things"?

I don't think I would advocate not having a strategic plan but they probably could be simpler than we make most of them. Regardless of what you call it, the focus should be on getting something done, on doing things. The focus should be execution.

In the world of business technology, speed is huge. Executing is huge. Results reign supreme. Experiments are the norm. We ought to obsess about the customer and sweat the details about executing what helps them. We should keep moving and never stop thinking of what the customer experience is like. No stone should be left unturned in our pursuit of amazing customer service. It is in fact the small courtesies that great an emotional connection to our products and services. Is every contact with us memorable? Did we add value?

Are we doing it? Are we getting it done today?

“We have a strategic plan. It’s called ‘doing things.’ ” —Herb Kelleher, Southwest Airlines CEO and Founder

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How comfortable are you at participating in business strategy conversations?

The job of a CIO is a tough one. Understanding and being able to communicate highly technical concepts in plain business language isn't easy. We all recognize that strategic planning is probably the most important thing we do. How good are we at it?

The business world today is extremely complex. Increased globalization; heightened merger activity; competition from nontraditional sources; shortened product life cycles; and a tightened regulatory environment are just a few of the items affecting a company’s strategic plan. Information technology can affect all of these things… and more.

In addition, many companies use technology as the strategic weapon necessary to survive in the fierce competitive environment. It is the job of the CIO to understand all of the aspects of the marketplace in which the company participates to help it effectively use information technology to address these challenges.

How comfortable are you at participating in business strategy conversations? A great question to think seriously about.

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