While organizational change can be cumbersome and time consuming, some CIOs are leading the charge to create agile teams.
In a Jan. 24 McKinsey report, a panel of CIOs from a range of sectors shared advice on how they are creating agile organizations through technological change.
1. Phase, don't overhaul
Some CIOs McKinsey interviewed said their legacy computing systems were too complex and had a tangle of integration tools within them. While overhauling the system may be tempting, budget and time constraints can hold this back. CIOs instead recommended phasing in new systems gradually to create a layer of microservices.
2. Make the IT team cross-functional
Shifting the IT department from a siloed group to ensuring it is functional across the organization can create agile teams that work together. An integration of the IT department with the business team can foster a feeling of co-ownership and speed up decision making, according to the report.
3. Monitor progress and celebrate successes
While success is defined differently across organizations, it is important to recognize it in all forms to keep morale high. Business transformation can also go beyond metrics and cost-saving and extend to culture change and digital growth and maturity, the report said.