Gartner Special BELUX Engels okt 2022

Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo TM 2022, October 2022

Gartner ITSymposium/Xpo: Welcome back

W

elcome back, we’ve missed you,” says Tomas Nielsen in this edition of the Gartner Executive People special and Dutch IT special. As conference chair, he will take visitors into the theme of “meet the moment, make the difference” this year. The underlying idea is that CIOs and other technology executives are strategic leaders in times of disruption and in times of growth.

The disruption and change we are seeing now is unprecedented. We are dealing with disruption caused by a conflict on a scale that we haven’t seen in Europe for 40 or 50 years. Plus, interest rates are rising, after ten years of being at practically zero. Money is starting to cost money again, and inflation is back, leading to a whole new leadership paradigm for IT leaders.

The role of technology has never been as crucial as it is today. Over the last two years dominated by COVID-19, remote working has put CIOs and technology managers in the spotlight within their businesses, since it’s technology we have to thank for the work model we needed to stay afloat during the pandemic.

working remotely, in terms of a globally distributed or ganization. This all comes into play in a post-pandemic world, as we are seeing people meeting in person again, explains Emmanuel Binard, Regional Vice Presi dent for Belgium & Luxembourg at Gartner in this spe cial edition.

Diversity is also a topic high on the agenda for CIOs, a good way to challenge the status quo, an absolutely ne cessity for changing the existing mindset in an organiza tion. The challenges that CIOs face are complex, and so too are the decisions they need to make. If they can look at all the stages of a decision with greater diversity, they will have a different perspective of a problem.

This, and more, will be discussed at the Gartner ITSym posium/Xpo in a global context, and for Benelux par ticipants during the traditional CIOs’ and analysts’ ses sion. And for the more informal side of things, the BeLux Country Reception will be making a comeback. See you there!

MARCO VAN DER HOEVEN

So, what’s next? There are questions about how we will work in the future; there are discussions about how tomorrow’s organization should look in terms of

Bart de Vleeschauwer

ck Andrade, Gartner

Emmanuel Binard

Executive-People Gartner Special BeLux Issue 32, Volume 12, October 2022

Executive-People Magazine is published by Dutch IT Channel B.V.

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Editorial Staff

Marco van der Hoeven, Teus Molenaar, Wouter Hoeffnagel, Jeroen Bordewijk, Hans Steeman, Anne van den Berg, Martijn Kregting, Johan van Leeuwen, Floris Hulshoff Pol

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Bettina Tratz-Ryan, Gartner

Tomas Nielsen, Gartner

Jorgen Heizenberg, Gartner

Edwin Maaskant

Knowledge is the best thing you can invest in

THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO QUESTION THE STATUS QUO – FOR CIOS AS MUCH AS FOR AN ORGANIZATION LIKE GARTNER. BUT YOU CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT THE RIGHT TEAM, WITH THE RIGHT DEGREE OF DIVERSITY ABLE TO APPRECIATE THE FULL SCALE OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE. EXECUTIVE PEOPLE SPOKE TO EMMANUEL BINARD ABOUT TRENDS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF INNOVATIVE TEAMS.

By: Marco van der Hoeven

There’s never been a better time to question the status quo – for CIOs as much as for an organization like Gartner. But you can’t do this without the right team, with the right degree of diversity able to appreciate the full scale of the challenges you face. Executive People spoke to Emmanuel Binard about trends and the importance of innovative teams. The overarching theme at year’s Gartner ITSymposium is: meet the moment, make the difference. The underlying vision is that CIOs are strategic leaders in times of disruption and in times of growth. We have never seen so much disruption and change occur so quickly as we have over the last few decades. And what’s more, there’s a conflict in Europe at a level we haven’t seen for half a century. On the economic front, interest rates are now rising, meaning that money is now going to cost money again. Inflation is back, so a whole new leadership paradigm is emerging. This level of disruption marks a shift toward a much more multipolar world, where CIOs are the leaders, facing unprecedented challenges. Within the theme of ‘meet the moment, make the difference’, Gartner wants to help IT leaders justify the choices they have to make. There are a great deal of trends, but CIOs and IT managers need to look at all the trends that matter to them and then leverage them for their own organization.

MEETING FACE TO FACE AGAIN

“This all comes into play in a post-pandemic world, as we are seeing people meeting in person again,” explains Emmanuel Binard, Regional Vice President for Belgium & Luxembourg at Gartner. “With ITSymposium, we believe we’re fulfilling that need by discussing this disruption in a safe environment. And we know that because we’re already seeing a huge increase in the number

of sign-ups. It even looks like we can host more people than the last time we organized ITSymposium in 2019. We are really excited about the opportunity we can offer CIOs to come together and share knowledge.”

“Taking four days out to dive deep into the question of what technology can mean for your business will prove a valuable investment. I think we’re now without a doubt in a time when CIOs can suggest ideas to help break the status quo – not least because of the pandemic, when we found out how important it was to be ready for far-reaching digitization.”

According to Binard, the CIO’s role now is radically different from previous decades. “Previously, the CIO’s chief task was to save costs. IT was especially seen as a cost item; it was never enough, or delivered on time, or fast enough, and so on. Now that IT is truly strategic, especially at times of disruption, inflation, and war, it’s more important than ever for the CIO to come up with sound advice for the board. That makes a visit to Barcelona more than worth it for CIOs.”

SECURITY AS AN INVESTMENT

Binard points to security as an example. “We know that 80% of board members believe that cybersecurity is an issue for the business. Now we’ve designed a form of benchmarking that helps translate a technical security issue into a real business impact: It’s like patching the system that, in turn, protects the systems that actually support to the business process. The choice between the level of investment versus the level of protection is actually a financial decision.”

“We’re seeing more and more that we can translate things that were previously very technical into a business impact. That makes the discussion about this technology highly relevant to a lot of

executives, so they can make informed decisions. And while I’ve used security as an example, you see it in many other areas, such as data, artificial intelligence integration, and how people select their talent.”

THE GREAT REFLECTION

This ties in with the much-discussed topic of the great resignation. “Our analysts don’t actually use the term the great resignation, even though that’s how it appears at first glance. Figures show that a few million Americans are quitting every month. So, it does

makes sense to call it the great resignation. But at Gartner, we prefer to talk about the great reflection. This symbolizes the fact that many employees are seriously thinking about how they work for a company. In fact, they are re-calibrating their personal value and what it means, so they can determine if they want to work for someone.”

“At the moment, no fewer than 65% of employees say they are rethinking the relationship between their work and their personal lives. The manager you have is becoming more relevant than salary, for example. Research shows that the factor that has

GARTNER SALES MANAGEMENT

evolved the most for employee retention is the manager, so companies need to make sure they have good managers who keep their people engaged, inspired, and valued.”

DIVERSITY

“In this very competitive market, every candidate who accepts a job offer at a company has already had two other offers. This pushes companies to hire new types of profiles from all over the globe. For example, I know a bank that predominantly sourced his data scientist outside Belgium, they had even to go to Brasil to find the talents they need. And thos kind of trends resonate everywhere, even at Gartner.

Eleven nationalities are represented on our sales team. This makes us stronger, and an ideal partner in the capital of Europe.”

“That diversity is of course very useful in challenging the status quo and an absolute must for changing the existing mentality in an organization. More and more CIOs are talking about this. The challenges that they face are extraordinarily complex, and so too are the decisions they need to make. If they can look at all the stages of a decision with greater diversity, they will have a different perspective of a problem. This allows you to frame the problem at a different level and tackle it more effectively. In short, diversity really is helping us solve problems.”

RESULTS

“If you just have the same type of people, are you really going to change the way you approach the traditional relationship with the

business as a CIO? No, you need all kinds of people to challenge the status quo within teams. The person who reinvented the car was not an engineer; the person who is going to reinvent medicines won’t be a doctor. You need a different angle to change the way you look at things. So, diversity has a very tangible result.” Gartner services have also evolved over the years along with these trends. “We have reviewed our services and introduced rolebased models. So, instead of giving generic advice, we try to put ourselves in the shoes of executives. Take the example of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). We have developed a priority navigator that shows them how CISOs can organize their time into different sectors. On that basis, they can then determine their own priorities. Those models include everything relevant to their role.”

According to Binard, Gartner will continue to develop and guide the customer journey. “That is a continuous evolution that I strongly believe in, because the more we take that path, the more we at Gartner are able to deliver tangible results consistently for the customer. My ambition is to generate €10 in value for every euro invested in our services. And to achieve this, we need to be live and breathe the day-to-day lives of our customers and the different dimensions of their work. Coming back to my example with the CISO, it’s about the leadership, business, and technology dimensions of their role. These role-based models will generate a great deal of value for customers. And it all starts by looking at things from the customer's perspective.”

THE GARTNER BELUX TEAM

Technology and healthcare: “Patient and doctor experience must be top priority”

IF THERE’S ONE SECTOR WHERE TECHNOLOGY HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON WORK, WELL-BEING, AND LIFE, THEN IT’S HEALTHCARE. AT GARTNER, CK ANDRADE PHD, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ANALYST, HEALTHCARE AND LIFE SCIENCES, RESEARCHES SMART TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS. HER VISION IS THAT PEOPLE – PATIENTS AND DOCTORS ALIKE – MUST ALWAYS BE AT THE HEART OF THIS.

By: Marco van der Hoeven

“Ihaveexperienced first-hand the challenges in healthcare and in caring for patients in their home.

And it has shaped the pathway in my career,” says ck Andrade PhD, Senior Director of Analyst, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Gartner, talking about her passion for healthcare and technology. She has a background in healthcare, technology, research, and business. “I now have practical tools for all kinds of things. Gartner has a great word for this: versatilist.”

“During the pandemic, I worked for a healthcare technology provider developing digital health platforms. I taught doctors how they could use digital technology at the university. And I advised hospitals how to use technology to deal with a crisis. So, I saw first-hand the devastating impact COVID-19 had on healthcare. I was part of the rapid transformation and tried to build the tools I needed.”

INNOVATION

“People now often think COVID destroyed the healthcare system, but there were already problems in healthcare before the pandemic. We know that the IT infrastructure didn’t support innovation and providing care was simply too expensive. Healthcare professionals left, and patients did not have a good experience. All COVID-19 did was push us to that tipping point where we just couldn’t go on doing the same old things anymore.”

“It wasn’t enough to keep things ticking along... we had to do things better. I always put people first; we need to treat both healthcare professionals and patients better. We have really come to a point where we can no longer regard a poor experience for patients and people in healthcare as the standard. It needs to be our highest priority. But our research shows that the priorities in healthcare investments have shifted from patient

experience and staff satisfaction to productivity and efficiency.”

GAP

“This makes me a little uneasy, because we always have to remember that it’s all about the patients and the staff. What’s also important to me is that everyone deserves care. But the pandemic has taught us that not everyone gets the care they need. We saw a huge gap that became ever wider. That really grabbed my attention, because we need to put health equality first.”

“The other thing I’ve noticed is that the gap is now widening within our IT systems and virtual care solutions. Just sticking a band-aid on actually created more problems. Now that we’ve the time to sit down and look more closely at virtual healthcare solutions, we can see the value, but we also see the challenges. I am writing a memorandum about discontent in virtual healthcare and how we can resolve it, so that’s a top priority for me.”

ETHICS

With technology developing so quickly now, Andrade warns that we should remember to take digital literacy and ethics into account. “With digital transformation

occurring so rapidly, we sometimes forget about the ethics. We forget to think about the people it affects and not only teach them how it works, but also why we are doing it and what we are trying to achieve.”

This is all happening in a world where consumer and, in turn, patient expectations are changing. “We are now approaching healthcare with the digital experiences of the banking sector, for example. Patients want that seamless experience in healthcare, too, throughout the whole ecosystem. But we are struggling with that in healthcare, on top of the fact that the dynamics of the healthcare ecosystem have changed. It’s a busy market; it’s like going to a restaurant with a 50-page menu.”

TRANSFORMATION

“My advice is to embrace technology with a people-first approach by putting patient and consumer experience first. Think of patients and clinicians before you develop your technical and digital transformation strategy. Bring them on board. And go beyond just maintaining the status quo digitally. Re-invent clinical care as you reinvent the technical strategy. Take an active role in the healthcare ecosystem, and don’t spend all your time worrying about the competition or what others are doing. Find your position, leverage partnerships and connect data, partners, and patients across the ecosystem.”

And for busy healthcare professionals, Andrade also has a suggestion: “You don’t have to do anything major right away. Sign up as a superuser, and take a moment to give feedback on the technology. Don’t be a passive receiver. I remember when they used to import electronic medical records: I spent a third of my time with my patient, and two-thirds of my time on admin. We tried to get on with our work anyway, but we didn’t complain and we didn’t make any suggestions. So, my advice for busy clinicians: Rattle the cage, give feedback, and be part of a pilot study. We don’t have to take the lead, but we can be more active.”

“When we start out as a doctor, we make a pledge to our patients. And in that relationship, that sense of responsibility for their care, using technology sometimes feels like outsourcing that responsibility. But embracing technology like AI doesn’t mean giving up on your commitment to your patients; it allows you to see more of them. Ultimately, it helps you deliver better care.”

“Convert technology into business value”

TRENDS LIKE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND THE WAR FOR TALENT ARE HAVING A DRAMATIC IMPACT NOT ONLY ON ORGANIZATIONS, BUT ALSO ON THE CIO’S ROLE IN GUIDING THESE CHANGES. TO HELP CIOS IN THEIR ROLE AS BUSINESS LEADERS, GARTNER HAS CREATED THE EXECUTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH SEES EXECUTIVES WITH REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE SUPPORTING CIOS. ONE OF THEM IS BART DE VLEESCHAUWER.

By: Marco van der Hoeven

“Virtually my whole career has been about gearing up for my current role at Gartner,” says Bart de Vleeschauwer, Executive Partner at Gartner. “Not intentionally of course, but it just worked out like that.” After graduating from university, where he obtained a doctorate in computer science and networking, he held a number of technical roles in telecoms. “I’ve led research teams working on new technological innovations.

At Telenet, I managed an architecture team. Working with the business teams and understanding the customer was always essential if we wanted to create added value.”

His most recent role before Gartner was Corporate Strategy Manager at Telenet, a Belgian cable network company. “There I was responsible for strategy, so setting out the broad direction for business and making decisions for the company’s future alongside senior management. In a lot of these decisions, technology played a central role. Turning technology into business value was my main driving force throughout my career.”

“One of the key trends I see in customers on the Gartner Executive Program is that technology has become a vital part of the business. The trick is to draw on Gartner research and our hands-on experience to help our customers make an impact on key priorities at their company. It’s about a

much broader context than IT alone, because technology has become more and more central in the business.”

CONTINUOUS CHANGE

One constant in technology is the continuous change that happens in different places at the same time. “The business world is now evolving faster than ever. This is driven by new technologies, but also by new methodologies: looking at the corporate culture and structure to make the most of this technology.”

“I have steered through that change at different times in my career, and it’s also my ambition to do so again at Gartner. For organizations, it’s essential to build on and adapt to ongoing technological developments. We no longer live in a world where you can learn everything ahead of time. In today’s world, you need to have the right mindset to be able to change constantly. Gartner also plays a key role in providing the right data and insights.”

THE ROLE OF THE CIO

One of the skills a CIO needs is the ability to tell a story. “The CIO is not only the business enabler, but the person who sets the organization’s course. Stakeholder management and storytelling are essential to this. It is about translating complex technology concepts for stakeholders into an easy-to-follow story that makes the essential trade-offs crystal clear. That way,

the CIO’s colleagues and the board will be able to make the right decisions. Certainly with the high inflation, talent shortages and supply chain challenges we’re seeing now, making the right decisions when it comes to technology will be essential for companies to succeed.”

“The board’s decisions on digitalization have far-reaching consequences on evolving business models, future growth, costs, security, and risk. The CIO is seen as the one who can explain the impact of the various options, assess and explain the risks, and help the board reach decisions.”

De Vleeschauwer is seeing this change to the role of CIO in practice at more and more organizations. “A bank or an insurer today isn’t like a bank or insurer ten years ago, but one that is fundamentally changing through digital transformation. The CIO is the one who needs to explain what the possibilities are and what these mean in terms of technology. Within the government sector, digital transformation also represents a major change in the way ‘customers’ – or rather citizens – access services.”

WAR FOR TALENT

One theme De Vleeschauwer believes is sure to crop up this fall is the war for talent – the huge shortage on the labor market that organizations face. “We’re seeing there’s a strong need for talent on the one hand, and on the other hand some people

BART DE VLEESCHAUWER

are looking at work and lifestyle in a different light after COVID. As a company, it’s really important to provide a clear and holistic employee value proposition.”

“You could describe that as the way a company positions itself to employees, with an offer that goes far beyond just a salary and paid leave, for example. It is about an all-encompassing way of looking at employment, where growth opportunities, corporate culture, working from home, work-life balance, empowerment, ESG, diversity, and so on are paramount. A solid employee value proposition is important both to combat loss of talent and to recruit the right people on the labor market.”

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAMS

Finally, one trend that De Vleeschauwer believes links digital transformation and the quest for talent is the shift toward multidisciplinary teams. “In the past, the technology used was often up to the teams, who structured themselves around certain technology domains. But now, there is more of a shift to multidisciplinary teams, and technology is being integrated into the business. In these teams, business and technology work very closely together to bring about change, achieve business objectives, and create value. This is essential not only for shaping digital transformation effectively, but also for bringing about a change in culture; plus, it makes a business more attractive to the right talent.”

Gartner IT Symposium

These trends will be discussed at the Gartner Symposium in Barcelona.

“Business Leadership is one of the core themes of the event. It’s high up on the agenda of every CIO, and it’s good that we are giving them the opportunity to talk to each other at the Gartner Symposium and share their experiences in workshops and peer connect sessions. Naturally, the symposium will cover the key technological trends and insights such as cloud, security, hyperautomation, ERP, data, and artificial intelligence. These technological evolutions are so significant, but we shouldn’t forget the other aspects that are high on a CIO’s agenda to succeed and get the right impact on the business.”

Strategic leadership in times of disruption

THE FIRST POST-COVID, IN-PERSON EDITION OF GARTNER ITSYMPOSIUM/XPO WILL TAKE PLACE IN BARCELONA THIS FALL, WHERE YOU CAN EXPECT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THE DISRUPTION THAT CIOS FACE IS NOW BIGGER THAN EVER. THIS MAKES GARTNER ITSYMPOSIUM/XPO A RATHER SPECIAL EVENT FOR CIOS. EXECUTIVE PEOPLE SPOKE TO CONFERENCE CHAIR TOMAS NIELSEN ABOUT WHAT AWAITS DELEGATES IN BARCELONA.

Written by: Marco van der Hoeven

“As conference chair of Gartner ITSymposium/Xpo 2022, I would first just like to say: Welcome back, we really missed you,” Tomas Nielsen begins the interview with Executive People on the upcoming edition of Europe’s biggest event for CIOs. “And to those coming for the first time: You have made a great choice by joining your peers. We’re going to give attendees an experience that will immerse them in new insights, new ideas, new visions. And they will go home with inspiration for themselves and for their business for the years to come.”

Nielsen explains how the emphasis will be on interaction and sharing knowledge. “It’ll be like one of those old bookstores, where you walk in to find a book about strategy or a book about technology leadership, but as you walk around, you find other things that might not be what you were looking for, but inspire you anyway.”

WIDE RANGE OF VIEWS

He continues, “We have four days to show off the best of Gartner, in a way that provides insights, through a unique program that addresses a wide range of views. We have the strategic top ten, the top technology trends, keynote speakers, interactive sessions in the workshops,

round-table discussions, and so on. We are trying to create an experience where CIOs can get answers to their questions, but also answers to questions they didn’t even know they had.”

The overarching theme this year is: Meet the moment, make the difference. Nielsen explains, “The vision behind this theme is that CIOs and other technology executives are strategic leaders in times of disruption and in times of growth. You could probably say this about many periods, but certainly in the last 30 years, I don’t think we have ever seen so much disruption and change occurring so quickly. And in such a concentrated way, either. We are dealing with a conflict on a scale that we haven’t seen in Europe for 40 or 50 years. That is, of course, a huge disruption.”

“On top of that, we are now seeing interest rates rising. After ten years of practically 0% interest, money is suddenly starting to cost money again. We are seeing inflation returning, too, so there’s a whole new leadership paradigm at play.”

MULTIPOLAR WORLD

This whole level of disruption is marked by a shift from the borderless globalization after the Cold War to a much more multipolar world. “The CIO is the leader who can steer us through unprecedented

challenges. In a world like this, in a situation like this, we can’t just fly on autopilot. We need to take a step back and make really enlightened choices. That’s why we want to help people define those choices: Meet the moment, make the difference. What do we need as an organization? There are a great deal of trends, but CIOs and IT managers need to look at all the trends that matter to them and then leverage them for their own organization.”

HEART OF THE MATTER

What role does technology play in meeting the demands of this day and age? “I don’t think that technology has ever been as crucial as it is today. We’ve seen that not least over the last two years dominated by COVID-19, when remote working has put CIOs and technology managers in the spotlight in their businesses, since it is technology we have to thank for the work model we needed to stay afloat during the pandemic.”

“But now there are questions about how we will go from here; there are discussions about how tomorrow’s organization should look in terms of working remotely, in terms of a globally distributed organization. So, technology really is at the heart of the matter.”

DIGITAL BUSINESS

“Moreover, there has been this underlying push toward more digital business for the past ten years. Technology and business are becoming one. We are increasingly seeing that technology is no longer the reserve of the IT department, but being run by people on the business side. So, CIOs and executives are now facing what we have long known as the democratization of technology. This means that the whole technology landscape is becoming more and more complex, while also becoming increasingly essential for businesses.”

In Nielsen’s view, technology is becoming more accessible to more people, and this means that public-sector companies and organizations increasingly find themselves in a situation where work without a digital or technological vision becomes impossible. “We can’t stop using technology; we must embrace the fact that everyone is using technology now.”

CONDUCTING AN ORCHESTRA

The other question is: Does this mean that the CIO will disappear? “No, they won’t, that’s for sure. Because business technology users worked based on existing technology platforms, based on guidelines from an enterprise architect, and they rely

on best practices. The CIO is the best person to conduct the orchestra. There is technology landscape has changed, but the underlying trend that technology is becoming increasingly important to publicsector companies and organizations is still there.”

“We have since heard from a lot of clients that technology is now proving useful in the fight for future talent. Suddenly, technology is also being seen as part of the employee value proposition. Anyone who has the technology to allow employees to work remotely or at least hybrid can recruit people anywhere in the world. The role of technology has never been more crucial.”

ENERGY

This will also affect how the Symposium/ Xpo is organized. “For me, the value is in meeting people, the energy, the discussion, having all the random conversations in the corridors. Your colleagues are there, and you meet your customers there, too. Chance encounters can turn into highly inspiring connections. We have become so accustomed to working from home over the last two years, with a fully scheduled diary. I’m looking forward to getting away from that and being inspired in these random meetings that suddenly give you a completely different perspective.”

“It’s kind of like executive leadership training, based on new research and new insights. I don’t know anywhere else you could get such a concentrated wealth of input. And it does a tremendous amount of good to get out of your day-to-day environment. We all know that when you’re working from home, sometimes even going out a walk will improve your productivity. The symposium is like that, but on a bigger scale; somewhere you can immerse yourself in a learning environment. It’s almost a custom-built campus for CIOs, but one that’s there for three or four days only.”

TOMAS NIELSEN

“We’re going to give attendees an experience that will immerse them in new experiences, new ideas, new visions. And they will come home with inspiration for themselves and for their business for the years to come.”

Diversity isn’t about special treatment, but about accountability

IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE OUT OF MORE DIVERSITY, YOU’RE UNLIKELY TO GET VERY FAR WITHOUT A SHIFT IN CULTURE. “IT’S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE MEETINGS YOU ORGANIZE, BUT ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT DIVERSITY,” SAYS GARTNER’S BETTINA TRATZ-RYAN. GARTNER CONTINUOUSLY HOLDS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS AND PUBLISHES AN ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT EACH YEAR TO MEASURE PROGRESS. “WHAT’S YOUR SUCCESS RATIO?”

By: Anne van den Berg

BETTINA TRATZ-RYAN

“Ifyou want to improve your company’s gender balance just to hit a quota or because you think it will look good on your Corporate Social Investment (CSI) or Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) report, you won’t get the talent you need. Only a cultural shift that creates a holistic and diverse work culture will help you attract and retain a diverse workforce, and open up a talent pool for organizations,” says Bettina Tratz-Ryan, VP of Research at Gartner.

PROVIDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

“If you want to build an inclusive workforce by supporting women or any other group, you need to proactively bridge the qualification gap – the gap that prevents various groups in your organization from progressing. You can do this by ramping up internships, giving groups equal opportunities, and training employees. And you need to be proactive about it, as so many statistics show that women feel less confident, even though they may have the right qualifications for a role.”

To give everyone the same opportunities, you don’t need to give women or other groups special treatment or to put them in the highest position straight away. It’s simply about giving them equal opportunities. You can do this by looking at accountability within your own organization, according to Tratz-Ryan. “If you want to grow, you need to know the success ratio of the support you give to women in the organization.”

Gartner looks at the employment value proposition (EVP), which shows that people want to be seen as people, not just as employees. IT leaders and CIOs need to build a human employment deal that focuses on a person as a whole, providing an individual, personalized work experience around people and not just around the employee. This approach enriches each EDI initiative. It goes beyond quotas and drives a new working culture that allows women to have equal opportunities in a work environment where they can use their unique talents.

EDI POLICY CREATES COMMITMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

A sound, company-wide management structure across all EDI activities demonstrates commitment to and accountability in achieving goals and developing an inclusive and equal work environment. Accountability can be measured by looking at how quickly women develop and how they move up on the corporate ladder, for example.

The methodology for developing this measurement system often requires sensitive data, and many organizations lack the management structure and overview to implement the proper methods. This lack of accountability can have the opposite effect on how attractive an organization is to the talent and employee pool. Accountability is a communication tool that allows organizations to discuss their EDI strategy with their customers and partners and win big in the talent war. This makes it the backbone of your organization’s cultural strategy.”

A GENUINE CONVERSATION

To talk about diversity and promote it, it’s important to embrace soft skills that women often bring. “When we talk about diversity, it’s less a logical, bilateral discussion. It’s not a dialogue, it’s a genuine conversation, and for that you need to tune into what you feel. Only then can you build trust, have empathy and make others feel at ease.”

It’s also important to involve male allies in the organization and support them in creating a diverse environment. Our research shows that employment value proposition can really help institutionalize these soft skills and human needs in a corporate culture.

For example, the pandemic highlighted the fact that the discussion on gender equality still needs to be had. In the corporate world, 50% of peopled were hybrid working or even working fully remotely. It’s all the more important to listen to your feelings when you work remotely, because you need to communicate faster to make sure that you not only don’t duplicate efforts, but also create engagement and resolve conflicts.”

MORE FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen swathes of women no longer feeling as settled in the corporate world, because the line between personal and work has become more blurred. This is more difficult for more emotionally sensitive people like women to leave work behind, even more so if you, as a woman, perhaps also fulfil the traditional roles in your home,” says Tratz-Ryan.

To re-engage women affected by this during the pandemic, organizations must give them the opportunity to develop and prove themselves. But the first step is to rewrite the way the vacancy is advertised: “Many female applicants already have their chances reduced at the first hurdle because the vacancy isn’t written for them. That’s where cultural shift begins.”

“When we talk about diversity, it’s less a logical, bilateral discussion. It’s not a dialogue, but a genuine conversation.”

“We’re seeing how important a people-oriented culture is becoming”

By: Marco van der Hoeven

“Ourcustomers deal with data, analytics, and artificial intelligence every day,” says Gartner’s VP Analyst Jorgen Heizenberg. “Of course, this has been on the agenda of organizations for a long time, but we can see that it has been accelerating enormously over the last two years. I’ve been working in this field for more than 25 years now, and I don’t think it’s ever been happening as fast as it is today. More and more people are taking an interest in this subject, and they are getting better and better at understanding what it is and what the possibilities are.”

“We’re seeing many interesting initiatives emerging in practice; the growth is explosive. This development is good news, of course. But the downside is that, in practice, there is a huge shortage of knowledge and employees with the right skills on data and analytics teams. The market simply can’t meet the demand.”

AN ACCELERATOR

“This is an interesting development, yet a striking complication when it comes to digital transformation. Research shows that most organizations see data, analytics, and artificial intelligence as an accelerator. Even if they don’t explicitly mention it, it’s often happening indirectly.” “For example, when they talk about improving the customer experience, this often includes customer analytics. Or improving the supply chain, this includes operational analytics. Essentially, I think we are now seeing data, analytics, and artificial intelligence play a crucial role practically everywhere and in every corner.”

IT SYMPOSIUM

This development fits in well with the theme of the IT Symposium: Meet the moment, make the difference “Every business moment revolves around data and analytics. That’s also how you as an organization make the difference. So, the theme of IT Symposium is very apt.”

One of the trends in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence – within the broader trend toward sustainability – is how to use this technology for good. Heizenberg recently investigated this phenomenon. “Because you can see data and analytics everywhere, you need people, such as data engineers and data scientists, to get started. The big challenge is finding those people and keeping them involved in your organization. In my recent publication, I make a number of recommendations on looking at this issue from a different perspective. You don’t always need someone with two years of experience, plus knowledge of three programming languages. Maybe there’s someone at your organization who may not have the experience, but they do have the potential.”

A CLEAR SHIFT

“Gartner also sees a clear shift, even beyond data and analytics, toward the values surrounding a job role. It’s not just about how much you get paid, but also what you can learn and whether you feel at home at an organization. Basically, there’s more and more appreciation of the human side.”

“One of our recommendations is to ensure that people can develop in an organization, maybe by engaging in a data-for-good initiative. So, in addition to the time

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS ABOUT FAR MORE THAN JUST TECHNOLOGY. IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY CLEAR THAT THE HUMAN SIDE CERTAINLY NEEDS A LOT OF ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY IN VIEW OF LABOR SHORTAGES AND THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY. VP ANALYST JORGEN HEIZENBERG CONSIDERS HOW THIS TOPIC TIES IN WITH DATA, ANALYTICS, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

they spend on the business, they might also work on optimizing the business process, or pick up a data and analytics project for a good cause. This is an effective means of recruiting and retaining staff.”

But it’s important not to approach it from a purely transactional perspective. “You need to ensure that it supports what you as an organization deem important. So, make sure it fits the culture of your organization. Avoid greenwashing, and don’t just do it to get staff through the door. Do it simply because you think your organization should have a social goal, as well as a commercial goal.”

SUSTAINABILITY

“We see this increasingly coming up in practice. Research shows that more and more organizations taking sustainability seriously, often as part of an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiative. Climate change, helping people, and fighting poverty are things that companies are becoming more and more engaged in alongside their commercial operations. It’s nice to see a business that is about more than just business. A people-oriented culture is becoming more important than just maximizing profits .”

“Companies can see perfectly well that the world is changing and that they are not only dealing with shareholders in the commercial sense, but they also have to take into account stakeholders from wider society. Of course, that doesn’t mean they need to stop everything they’re doing to save the world, but just consider the social aspects, such as their impact

on the environment. This is reflected in the fact that more and more companies are publishing ESG reports and are intrinsically motivated to do their bit to make the world a better place.”

HUMAN-CENTERED

This also means that the role of the CIO is changing, and more human-oriented components are needed. “Instead of a traditional platform-focused institution, that human side will have to play a role. CIOs might need to think more about bringing more balance to their teams. How can they ensure that they have not only technical experts on their team, but also people with more knowledge of the business side? Or how do they make sure that they include people who are highly analytical in their team, and people who are more empathetic in nature?”

What’s more, CIOs will need to consider the changes occurring right now in society. The turmoil in the labor market and all those external factors will continue to affect their own duties and responsibilities. “And the same goes for them: If they want to attract and retain employees, they need to adopt that human-centered approach.”

“In practice, we are seeing more and more CIOs recognize this; they also want to be part of these initiatives. I think this picture that some may have of a CIO as head of a boilerhouse is outdated. Most CIOs really do understand that tools and technology are the means, not the end, and that these can support them in making all kinds of changes within their organization.”

JORGEN HEIZENBERG

Gartner Consulting: “From insight to action”

By: Marco van der Hoeven

EdwinMaaskant is a Senior Managing Partner for Gartner Consulting. He serves a variety of large organizations, including the European Union and the United Nations. But he is also responsible for the consulting business unit at Gartner in Brussels. Gartner’s consulting helps customers to translate analyst research into something they can put into practice. “We help them use the insights they obtain and derive actions from them. Once the research is in, we can guide customers through implementing it.”

On the customer side, there’s a wide variety of challenges, as Maaskant explains. “The type of questions obviously depends on the type of customer and where in the cycle they are. Some of our commercial customers are firmly focused on optimizing costs. That’s where benchmarking comes in. But we’re also seeing a lot of migration to the cloud, and improved performance with things like data analytics.”

HELPING THE PUBLIC SECTOR

The public sector has its hand full with digital transformation, too. But since it isn’t profit-making, the goal is more about how to better serve citizens with digitalization, as well as better understanding the data they collect to help with evidence-based policymaking. So, how can you convert data into policies? Data analytics plays a role there, too, as does the transformation of their own processes to improve communications with citizens.

“AI also plays a role in this, with more and more companies wanting to know how AI can specifically help them go further. Some organizations and companies are already working on it, but others need to improve the foundation of their data strategy and data analytics to achieve greater maturity before they can even think about building on a real AI strategy and actually deploy AI. The maturity of organizations varies greatly, and we can help them lay the foundations for AI, so they are ready to implement it. Many

customers want to know what’s already out there and what others are doing. That’s where we can help, because we have a broad view of it as an independent party.”

IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP

“We recently helped a large organization with its data strategy to improve performance. We are seeing that demand grow and grow, and in Gartner Research we have designed a data strategy model for it. We then tailored it to that customer, identifying a few steps in the implementation roadmap. You could describe it as learning to crawl, then walk, and then run.”

“You need to start with the basics, such as the data sources, the architecture, and the tools. From there, you can move on to building new tools that are even more powerful. We can then advise on the investments you need for this and what return you can expect on them. This also applies to the public sector, for example to a project on development aid. You then measure the results of your efforts, and you look at the results. This means you can invest more in the things that are delivering the most for you. To do this, we at Gartner can perform a market scan to see which technology is available for document recognition or to identify any correlations, which will help you determine causation.”

POLICY

In government, it starts with policy advice – so, for example, about what the EU should do to improve internet access or cybersecurity. “Once that policy is known, the strategy comes next, and we can help with the digital strategy and IT strategy needed to support the legislation.

“After the strategy has been formed and we have a roadmap, we can help with the implementation. Gartner doesn’t do system integration or outsourcing, but we do help with sourcing the right technology parties, because we already have that knowledge

GARTNER RESEARCHERS GATHER A HUGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION ON EACH AND EVERY ASPECT OF THE IT MARKET. INSIGHTS THAT BUSINESS USERS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ALIKE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF. BUT UNDERSTANDING TRENDS DOESN’T AUTOMATICALLY LEAD TO LASTING CHANGE IN THE ORGANIZATION. THAT’S WHY GARTNER CONSULTING HAS BEEN CREATED: TO HELP CUSTOMERS TURN RESEARCH RESULTS INTO A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH MEASURABLE RESULTS.

through the studies for our Magic Quadrants. We can also carry out program oversight and quality assurance, or help with tendering.”

STRATEGY

Typically, Gartner consultants are both business leaders and IT leaders. “We speak to the CIO, the CFO, and the COO. The digital officers and data officers also often sit round the table with us. And of course the Chief Security Officer. We are currently seeing huge demand for cybersecurity strategies, not least because of the ongoing war.”

In digital transformation processes, culture, skills, and people are essential. “At Gartner, we talk about digital literature and data literacy. How do we use the data? And how can we prepare people for a digital future? That’s what organizations should be focusing on now. We’re seeing an influx of digital natives now, but the question is often how to help those who haven’t grown up with digital technology. The transformation is happening so fast that you have to be constantly engaged in it. That goes without saying in IT, but on the business side it isn’t as obvious. So, it’s vital to give due attention to the cultural shift that digital transformation calls for.”

EDWIN MAASKANT

CIO needs to think “what if” more often

By: Editorial staff

Disruption is a fundamental shift that brings about lasting change. And organizations that are willing to face it head on will be ones that come out on top,” says Yockelson. “We must keep asking ourselves ‘what if’ and remain open to the opportunities that disruption brings.”

Yockelson mentioned seven major disruptions that CIOs and other digital business leaders should factor in over the next five years.

1. METAVERSE EXPERIENCES IN THE WORKPLACE

Gartner defines a metaverse as “the next level of inter action in the virtual and physical world”. Organizations are now using metaverse technologies (see also this recent Gartner article) to generate greater engage ment, collaboration, and connection with their em ployees. This can be done through better, inspiring workspaces in virtual offices and harnessing metaverse experiences, or rather intraverses.

Gartner predicts that fully virtual workspaces account for 30% of investment growth in metaverse technolo gies and will completely change the office experience from now until 2027.

2. FLYING CARS

Flying autonomous vehicles, or unmanned aerial vehi cles (UAVs), are intended to carry passengers, mainly over short distances in urban areas. These are autono mous aircraft designed to operate without a human pi lot at the controls. Multiple companies are working on new aircraft driven by artificial intelligence and de signed to offer a faster, cheaper, safer, and more car bon-efficient alternative in air travel, especially in busy areas. The first flying taxi service is scheduled to launch in 2024. Despite potential challenges in terms of regu

lations, Gartner believes that CIOs should look at what transportation issues they face – moving people and freight – and how they can be overcome by using these vehicles.

3. THE DIGITAL HUMAN ECONOMY

From medical care, customer service, virtual influenc ers, and HR training to bringing deceased people “back to life”, the possibilities for digital humans are endless. A digital human economy opens up the opportunity for a new digital ecosystem, supported by technology that brings individuals and organizations together to innovate and interact in new ways.

Gartner predicts that the digital human economy will be a $125 billion market by 2035 and even continue to grow from there.

4. THE DECENTRALIZED AUTONOMOUS ORGANIZATION

Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are a new type of organizational model emerging in the IT services market. Gartner defines a DAO as a digital en tity running on a blockchain that can engage in busi ness interactions with other DAOs, digital and human agents, and companies without conventional manage ment by humans.

Many high-performance digital employees will be at tracted to working in DAOs. Although they are still in their infancy, DAOs have the potential to be very dis ruptive to many of the current standards in the tech nology sector.

5. WIRELESS ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGING

Wireless charging will prove a godsend for companies with fleet vehicles such as buses and taxis. These vehi

CIOS NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO THINK “WHAT IF” AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY TO AVOID BEING OVER WHELMED BY SOCIAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION. AT THE GARTNER IT SYMPOSIUM/XPO IN AUSTRALIA, VP ANALYST AT GARTNER DAVID YOCKELSON SAID THAT A LOT OF THE DISRUPTIONS THAT SEEM FAR AWAY MAY BE CLOSER THAN WE THINK.

cles will effectively be able to use dynamic charging to increase range and reduce costs.

In the long run, private installations will be the largest market for wireless vehicle charging, as EV owners en joy the modest convenience of not having to plug in. But looking beyond that, Gartner expects the volume of wireless chargers installed at private residential and campuses to exceed those installed at homes.

6. GRAPHENE REPLACING SILICON

There is a huge potential over the next seven to ten years for carbon-based field-effect transistors (FETs) to replace silicon in traditional transistors as these reach their minimum size limits.

One example is graphene, a single-atom-thick material of pure carbon, bound together in a hexagonal honey

comb grid. Graphene could replace current silicon de vices, especially for wireless communications, where these carbon-based FETs can transmit a much higher current in a small area, processing signals at lightning speed.

CIOs need to consider the new opportunities arising with graphene-based technologies and start to identify emerging vendors.

7. TECH BECOMING DISPOSABLE

What if the technology industry goes the way of the fashion sector, with “disposable” applications designed to be quickly created, used, and discarded? Although aspects of a company are currently applied on a large scale, there are opportunities for CIOs to take it to the next level and prepare for the flexibility of disposable technology.