CIO Self-Assessment Tool: What Kind of CIO Are You?

1. To whom do you report?

A. CEO (3) points

B. COO (3) points

C. CFO (4) points

D. Other (0) points

2. Are you a member of the business executive management committee?

A. Yes (6)

B. No (4)

3. Have you held positions outside of IT?

A. Business operations/administration (3)

B. Marketing/sales (2)

C. Consulting (4)

D. Other (0)

4. What range best represents your total annual compensation?

A. $200,001 or more (3)

B. $165,001 to $200,000 (1)

C. $140,001 to $165,000 (2)

D. $140,000 or less (4)

5. Which skill is MOST important in your role?

A. Strategic planning and thinking (2)

B. Ability to influence change in others (3)

C. Negotiation skills (4)

D. Understanding business processes and operations (1)

6. Which skill is LEAST important in your role?

A. Negotiation skills (2)

B. Strategic planning and thinking (4)

C. Understanding industry trends and business strategy (1)

D. Thorough knowledge of technology options (3)

7. On what activity do you spend the MOST amount of time?

A. Interacting with your company’s CXOs and business executives (1)

B. Making strategic systems decisions (2)

C. Managing IT crises (4)

D. Strategic business planning (3)

8. On what activity do you spend the LEAST amount of time?

A. Budgeting (2)

B. Learning about technologies (1)

C. Strategic business planning (4)

D. Leading projects (3)

9. Which business process are you currently improving with IT?

A. Customer service/support (2)

B. Order fulfillment/manufacturing (4)

C. Research and development/product development (3)

D. Accounting and finance (1)

E. Other (0)

10. What is your HIGHEST management priority for the year ahead?

A. Controlling IT costs (1)

B. Revenue-generating services and products (2)

C. Data privacy (3)

D. IT staff development (4)

11. What is your LOWEST management priority for the year ahead?

A. Internal IT knowledge management (3)

B. Revenue-generating services and products (4)

C. Controlling IT costs (2)

D. Data privacy (1)

12. What is the biggest barrier to your effectiveness today?

A. Unknown/unrealistic expectations from the business (2)

B. Difficulty proving the value of IT (4)

C. Lack of business sponsorship for IT projects (3)

D. Shortage of time for strategic planning (1)

SCORE

If you scored between 12 and 20, you are most likely a Business Leader

* 21 to 30, an Innovation Agent

* 31 to 40, a Turnaround Artist

* higher than 41, an Operational Expert.

(Less than 12, the chance that you’re any kind of CIO is remote.)