CIO & IT Leader Mid-life crisis

Considering sensitivities and association with personal lives that many would have to this post, I would like to start with a disclaimer. This is an assimilation of experiences and sharing from many people over a period of time and not a reflection of any one person’s life, journey, past or current state. This is a culmination of discussions and advice, coaching sought, mentoring done and observations. I hope that it will be a reality check for some of you as you nurture thoughts on your next career move or becoming an entrepreneur.

It was an evening with select senior CIOs who were at their prime of careers; everyone with 20+ years of experience was visibly sitting pretty in their roles with ample success. They had built teams that delivered to promise made to business; vendors loved them for their business and success stories that they contributed. Everything appeared to be going well for this bunch of elite professionals. However the mood in the group was did not reflect the collective success; it was not gloomy but tentative in the discussions.

1.      I have been working for over 25 years running the rat race; my teams run IT operations efficiently leaving me free to pursue my calling. While everything is going well, I feel an internal unrest and at times insecurity about what next ? Technology disruptions come and go, we embraced some, passed others, and my role has continued to evolve. Internet, Cloud, Mobility, Analytics, BYOD, Big Data, IoT, and what have you, challenged momentarily and then the enterprise adapted, so did I. All of this is now on autopilot mode, I seem to be drifting, how to I stay relevant ?

2.      The organization is changing fast along with the industry; with global aspirations the company is pushing hard, at times really stretching the limits of business and people elasticity. My team is under pressure to do more within finite resources, vendors are seen as inept unable to keep up with new opportunities while we keep pressing the accelerator. I feel inadequate at occasions, a feeling I never had earlier ! My team has aspirations to grow which can be fulfilled only with growth of the enterprise; I think that I need to change tracks and become an entrepreneur.

3.      Not having got what I deserved and alienation with some of the new CXOs, I decided to take the plunge and start on my own. Working as a consultant has not been easy; all the people who flocked around me earlier in my corporate avatar now seem to be distancing themselves; they politely listen to my pitch, then nothing happens. It’s been almost 2 years now and I am reaching the limits of my financial stability which is increasing my anxiety and stress levels; wondering if I should go back to the corporate world with a steady income.

4.      I have had a good time over the last decade with multiple roles with increasing responsibility; IT had a great run with the business contributing to the change and market leadership. The industry is now being threatened with some of the new digital disruptions; my management ignored the early signs and my pleas to change our business model. As a result, our growth has slowed down significantly; costs are being cut to stay afloat. There have been discussions on forced attrition and I am worried that I may be a target as a high cost resource.

Call it circumstantial, self-determined or self-imposed, these are real situations faced by many CIOs in recent times. Losing relevance, hurt professional pride, sidelined due to changing political dynamics, inability to stay engaged with business, insecurity driven by financial goals, the end outcome of these and more is that the CIO in his mid-life and probably peak of career is finding that while s/he has made so many changes to his/per persona with changing technology and business expectations, there is no certainty on his/her continuity.

No magic wand or formula solves these puzzles; mid-life crisis can happen anytime to anyone irrespective of personal and professional credentials. My suggestion is to always build a strong professional network in which you stand for a cause, purpose, proficiency, expertise, thought leadership, or just someone who people can reach out to should they have a need. People always remember you for how you treat them and they do reciprocate. They will open doors for you, and those who won’t, probably you are better off without them.

Get started, it’s okay to be afraid.

Surviving layoffs

We live in uncertain times with global economies tumbling randomly impacting everyone within as well as across borders. Citizens and corporates alike are living with FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) as the world watches the unfolding of one crisis after another. With survival at stake, individuals as well as enterprises are taking steps to tide over the current quagmire. In our connected world, the impact is felt even in otherwise stable or developing economies.

Are there learning from past economic events that have left many economies struggling. Recession and slowdown driven new normal had everyone focusing on cost and then incremental growth. Successive events have taken away much of the impact once again driving enterprises and individuals up the wall. Once again there is talk of deep cost cutting which now chips at the bones with no flesh remaining.

Not too long ago interacting with such a CIO who was asked to find alternative opportunities, I learnt about the trials and tribulations of such a situation, especially when there is a gap between two jobs. The person was a great performer and excelled in creating new technology solutions. In recessionary times discretionary spending was cut, no new projects and thus the pink slip.

In good times every enterprise leader will cite the often repeated cliché “people are our best assets”. In difficult times after everything else has been tried, companies lay off assets that can no longer be deemed useful. Normalization has a way of sometimes impacting productive assets too with resultant attrition hitting operating efficiencies. Layoffs are reality and so is the adverse impact it creates.

The ecosystem of friends, peers and close family can help overcome the negative sentiment. Seek a coach or mentor who can keep the sanity levels normalized. Even if you are lucky it takes time to find what works for you and the new company wanting to hire your services. A non-CIO friend took almost 2 years to get his rightful position while his kids and family supported him emotionally. The CIO was lucky to find a fresh beginning within 6 months.

What could I have done to prevent this from happening ? The mind tries to justify and find causes related to personal behavior, performance or shortfall that created the situation. It refuses to recognize external forces instead attempting to rationalize self-existence. It takes a while for reality to sink in and start afresh. The self-denial phase can last from a few hours to years. This self-pity mode becomes the most unproductive time. It is important to leave behind the baggage and move on with a fresh start.

What does this mean ? Be prepared as Black Swans are becoming more prevalent than NNT (Nassim Nicholas Taleb) postulated. Do not feel disheartened when someone close gets impacted. Support the person any way that you can. When I faced this situation a long time back, my friends and the IT industry leaders provided adequate cushioning to sustain self-pride. I was fortunate to maintain continuity in my transition and thankfully overcame emotional distress quickly. That’s when I realized the importance of networking and reputation.

We live in uncertain times.