| | October 20158CIOReviewopinionin myn today's rapidly changing business world, the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude no longer suffices when it comes to IT. In fact, we should consider a new approach: "If it ain't broke yet, why not? Let's break it!" Although I'm exaggerating to make a point, I think that no action is riskier than inaction. Driving innovative change is the only way to stay afloat, let alone compete. But this can be difficult to do. Why? Because IT is the nerve center of any modern enterprise, and operational efficiency and risk mitigation are top-of-mind items for every CIO and company board member. This mindset often paralyses the IT function, which becomes geared toward playing defense and maintaining the status quo. There are, of course, clear connections between IT, employee satisfaction, brand reputation, and a company's bottom line.But to successfully move the company forward, today's CIO has to play more than a robust defense: He or she has to become an advocate for a culture of IT evolution, willing to spearhead big risks, continually, when no one else can perceive the business value of doing so. The CIO has to actively strive to lead a company-wide process of IT experimentation and iteration. Change is inevitable and today's proactive IT leader has to become, in effect, what I call a Change Management CIO.And, there are a few general ways to both advance and succeed in that direction. Let me share my experience and what has worked for me. Ride the Current WaveI live in California, and love spending time at nearby beaches observing surfers. Some surfers ride any wave that comes their way, while others just keep waiting for the "right" wave. The second type of surfer not only tends to miss the present waves but also typically misses the supposedly right wave when it finally arrives.The world of IT has its own waves. And just like those surfers, some CIOs tend to wait for the so-called next big thing, instead of riding the current waves that are here right now.Today, the two biggest waves are cloud and mobile. A lot of us pretend to be on top of both situations and can talk a good game, but very few of us are riding these waves as well as we can. First, there are often too many hurdles that inhibit the rapid adoption of cloud or mobile solutions, including the complex-By Bask Iyer, CIO, VMwareAre You a Change Management CIO?
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