Based on What You Have Read About Jim Barton’s Journey as the New Cio at Ivk Corporation,

Based on what you have read about Jim Barton’s journey as the new CIO at IVK Corporation, do you agree with the statement: “IT management is about management”? Why or why not? Suppose you are Jim Barton, what would you say to the CEO about the strategic value of IT?

Davies most likely would argue that you have a technical background in order to be a successful CIO. He would have you believe that a lack of a technology experience can limit a CIO’s capabilities and may be detrimental. However, he is misguided. Especially when he tells Barton that he needed to know “everything”. If a CIO incorrectly believes that he knows “everything”, then he also believes that there is not a need to ask questions nor is there a possibility for his growth. The truth is that a new CIO can lack technological experience. However, the new CIO should have the capacity to understand technology and the interpret input from his team.

Although Barton was hesitant to take the position as CIO because of his lack of technical experience, he soon realized that in order to succeed in the position it was more important to have great management skills because “IT management is about management”. This became clear on the night that he tried to read several technology books—it became apparent that it was impossible to know everything. From this experience, he determined what was more important was the ability to know what you don’t know. Most a CIO’s time should be focused on his team. If a CIO devotes an excessive amount of time drilling down to nuts of bolts of technical issues, he is missing the bigger picture.

Barton recognized that it would be necessary to build his knowledge by surrounding himself with excellent resources and talented people that he could trust. Great CIOs foster input from their peers and their team. Building a great team requires a strong grasp of the company’s goals and vision. They need to not only build but attract, maintain and motivate...