By Alexis Wierenga | 3-minute read | November 08, 2023
Executive Insights from Day 3 of Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo Barcelona
Disruptions are fundamental shifts that create lasting change that endures unless disrupted by something else. CIOs must embrace the notion that disruption will continue and become more frequent. In this presentation, Daryl Plummer, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst, examines seven disruptions that are closer than you might think — and should be on every CIO's strategic radar.
"Disruption is not just change. We're looking for disruptions that cause a fundamental shift in the system that you work in."
Daryl Plummer, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner
CIOs should acknowledge and prepare for these seven disruptions:
Geomagnetic storm impact: Create an existential threats list for disrupted IT infrastructure.
Codeplasma: Hire and retain code philosophers.
Regulated AI: Ensure business continuity by updating business and operating models.
The golden age of “silver workers”: Orient compensation, work schedules and recruiting to incentivize hiring older workers.
“Laggards” leapfrog “leaders”: Aggressively evaluate “techquisitions” as a primary option for growth.
“Engineering innovation” pace: Empower rapid development across the virtual and physical world.
Though well-intended, most sustainable IT programs barely scratch the surface of getting close to net zero. To succeed in this area, CIOs in enterprises with big sustainability ambitions will need to significantly up their game. Shanna Grafeld, Gartner Principal Analyst, walked through how to determine and drive an effective strategy for your enterprise to reach net zero.
“By 2025, 75% of organizations will experience ongoing electricity shortages, accelerating the push for sustainable IT.”
Shanna Grafeld, Principal Analyst at Gartner
To build an effective net zero roadmap, focus on:
Renewable energy: Create a policy and use as few carbon offsets as possible.
Data centers: Shift from supply efficiency to demand management, and take responsibility for cloud sustainability.
Digital workplace: Educate employees, leverage modularity, tackle scope 3 emissions and drive circular economy principles.
Data: Optimize data movement, reduce processing cycles and host in low-carbon data locations.
According to Gartner’s 2023 Board of Directors Survey, 89% of boards see digital as implicit to growth strategies, yet just 8% of enterprises have achieved their digital transformation goals. This is, in part, because many enterprises lack the necessary agility for continual innovation, strategy and execution. In this session, Gartner Distinguished VP Analyst Donna Scott explored how CIOs can drive digital transformation by applying agile principles across the enterprise.
“Our end customers want a better experience. They are changing their buying habits, and we need to respond faster and more creatively to continue to win their business.”
Donna Scott, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner
Follow these best practices to move digital transformation forward in your enterprise:
Define a shared vision: Create a compelling endgame that includes desired outcomes and the transformation scope.
Accelerate agility: Use a collective sense of purpose to help people embrace change and move from working in silos to collaborating across teams.
Iterate: Lean on small successes to secure ongoing support of and commitment to the program.
Despite economic constraints and layoffs in certain sectors, IT employees continue to show lower intent to stay and higher salary expectations compared to non-IT employees, whether in their current roles or when switching jobs. Gartner VP, Team Manager Lily Mok spoke to creating an IT compensation strategy that is responsive to the current talent crunch, retention challenges and an uncertain future.
“Don’t spend more, spend smarter with event-driven, variable compensation.”
Lily Mok, VP, Team Manager at Gartner
To improve your approach to compensation and employee experience:
Define performance milestones with shared frameworks: Provide a clear and common understanding of how to reach high performance.
Use real-time employee recognition and bonuses: Offer employees continuous recognition as they reach for their targets.
Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, The World’s Most Important Gathering of CIOs and IT Executives™, brings together thousands of executives every year to address the strategic needs of enterprise CIOs and their leadership teams.
Learn more about Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo and what's in store for 2024.
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Daryl Plummer is a managing vice president, chief of Research and chief Gartner Fellow. He is chief of research for cloud computing and a primary analyst covering multiple cloud topics, business process management, SOA and Web technologies. Mr. Plummer manages the Gartner Fellows Program, which is designed to allow senior analysts the opportunity to explore new research ideas and to elevate the Gartner culture and brand with clients. He is also chief of Research for emerging trends and interacts with clients on topics ranging from application development to enterprise architecture. With Gartner for 15 years, Mr. Plummer has more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry. Prior to joining Gartner, he was division director and technology coordinator for the State of Florida’s Department of Management Services. Mr. Plummer was also data center director of the Technology Resource Center, at the time one of the largest data centers in Florida. In this capacity, he managed the introduction of statewide client/server systems and methodologies. He was instrumental in the creation of the state’s TCP/IP network and designed and implemented the Florida Communities Network and Florida’s economic Internet presence.
Shanna Grafeld is an analyst in Gartner's Executive Leadership of Digital Business practice. Ms. Grafeld focuses primarily on sustainability and leadership, helping clients to integrate sustainability into their strategy and culture and prepare for the leadership challenges of the future.
Donna Scott is Distinguished Vice President Analyst in Gartner's Office of the CIO Research. Ms. Scott is responsible for research across strategy to execution including operating models, organizational models, governance and strategic execution. She also focuses on transforming I&T operating models to get more value out of information & technology.
Lily Mok is a Vice President, Analyst with Gartner Research, working on the IT Strategy, Execution and Organization team. Ms. Mok focuses her research on helping CIOs and HR leaders develop strategies and programs to build a future-ready workforce. Topics include: strategic workforce planning; succession planning and management; IT job architecture and career paths; digital leadership and workforce competency models; talent assessment; recruitment and employment value proposition; retention strategy; total rewards; employee performance management; learning and development practices. Ms. Mok has extensive experience in global HR and compensation consulting, and is a Certified Compensation Professional specialized in designing and developing employee reward strategy and programs.
