CIOs Ignore Data And Make Risky Decisions Based On Instinct

There’s continued insularity in the IT department, with 68 percent of CIOs basing pressured decisions on instinct and experience, above any other factor.

This is according to a study commissioned by Colt, a network, voice and data centre services specialist.

More than three-quarters (76 percent) admit that their intuition is sometimes at odds with other sources, such as data or advice from third parties.

More strategic role

This could be owing to an increased feeling of personal risk amongst CIOs, a sentiment that was recently unearthed in Colt’s recent ‘Moments that Matter’ study. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of senior IT leaders felt more individual risk when making decisions, since IT has acquired a more strategic role in a business.

The study also found that the majority (71 percent) of senior IT leaders feel that intuition and personal experience is, on balance, more effective than data intelligence when making decisions. Asked to list four scenarios in order of importance when making decisions, the areas where professional experience trumped hard data included:

· When managing external events, more CIOs rated professional experience (69 percent ranked this as the top two most important) as being most important to making decisions, higher than using data and intelligence (66 percent)

· More IT leaders felt that when responding to emerging customer requirements, professional experience (67 percent) informed effective decisions, rather than relying on data and intelligence (61 percent)

· Significantly, professional experience was considered of higher importance (63 percent) than data and intelligence (56 percent) when dealing with changing compliance regulations

Carl Grivner, EVP at Colt, said: “IT leaders need to embrace their growing strategic role and work collaboratively with other business partners to drive innovation and create a competitive advantage. The research indicates the IT department is often too insulated. When the stakes are high and a CIO is feeling the pressure to make the right decision that will result in business and career success – the natural reaction is to draw on instinct and professional judgement.

“Other sources of expertise have limited influence – in particular input from peers in other parts of the business. In today’s digital world there must be a greater engagement with other business areas and external resources to drive success.”

76 percent of respondents agreed that trust between suppliers is the most important element in ensuring successful outcomes during pivotal moments. Moreover, 78% consider technology partners as a source of technical innovation.

The study surveyed 301 European senior technology decision makers in August 2015, with an equal split for UK, French and German respondents.

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