A New CIO's 100-Day Plan

When new CIOs start, they have to immediately create momentum and build credibility. High expectations are held by the business community, senior executives, and the IT organization itself — and starting off on the right foot is critical to managing those initial expectations. To manage this initial roller coaster ride, CIOs should create a "First 100-Day Plan." In 2002, Maurice Chénier was a newly appointed CIO for a recently formed IT organization in one of the largest departments in the Canadian federal government, and his experience provides an excellent example of using the "First 100-Day Plan" to build credibility. Now a Director General in the newly formed shared services organization, Chénier attributes much of his success to the creation and execution of the 100-day plan.