Offering regional and national programs, CIO (and CSO) events bring together some of the most respected names and thought leaders in information technology and security. Presented by CIOs and other senior level executives, these invitation-only programs offer timely topics and strong networking. Learn More »
Social Responsibility's Strategic Benefits
December 15, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
Join Ed Granger-Happ, CIO of Save the Children, for a discussion of how creating an organization that is socially responsible improves staffing, retention, leadership development and overall corporate health.
Working With and Communicating to Your Board of Directors
January 13, 2009, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM US/Eastern (GMT-5)
CIO panelists who will share tips and experiences working with their boards: Twila Day of SYSCO; Jeff O'Hare, West Corp.; Marc West, formerly with H&R Block.
IT's Role in Growing Mid-Market Companies
January 14, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET (GMT-5)
Mid-market Council members will share their companies' stories and challenges in driving or coping with growth. Panelists represent Veterinary Pet Insurance, Medicis Pharmaceutical, and Intrax Cultural Exchange.
Learn more about the CIO Executive Council »Apply today for a FREE subscription to CIO Magazine!
February 11, 2008 — CIO — Want to find out what new employees think of your IT department? Just ask them, says Direct Energy CIO Kumud Kalia.
Kalia takes 20 minutes to meet with all the people he's hired in the past 90 days to ask them for their observations while they're still fresh. It's a trick he picked up from executives at a previous company and implemented once he entered the C suite.
Kalia likes to use this informal group meeting to get real-time feedback on the company's on-boarding process, to find out what the newest employees think of the work environment, and ask them how they've interacted thus far with colleagues, business partners and customers. He also likes to pick their brains about how Direct Energy compares to other companies. "This is good for breaking down old myths that support grass-is-greener kind of views [that can crop up]," says Kalia. "We can also get some insight into best practices we haven't considered."
This kind of information has a short shelf life; employees forget their early experiences once they're settled. New employees obviously won't want to be too harsh, "but it is possible to get at the truth without overt criticism of coworkers [or] the company," says Kalia.
He's let the practice slide as his time has become tight, but he intends to reintroduce it this year. "I've noticed a few new faces around and think it's a little sad that I don't recognize everyone," he says. "This will help connect me to new staff. It's important that employees have met with their department head and feel like they have a relationship."
Other stories by Stephanie Overby © 2008 CXO Media Inc.
Just the basics, please. Sometimes we all need a refresher or we need to make sure our team and our colleagues are all on the same page.
Over 25 tutorials on everything from business intelligence to virtualization.