On a more serious note, we will not automatically be accepted into the club. We need to spend time building the relationships, trust, and support that may come automatically to a man in the same position. However, men can’t keep those inherited gifts without doing the same work. The difference is that we have to earn it up front. So, focus on finding key influencers and building those relationships first. And remember that these influencers are not necessarily your fellow executive staff members.
Your staff will most definitely test your mettle. We may not like it, but some of the staff will view you as 'a woman' and test you to see if you have backbone. It is not necessary to overcompensate; you need to be yourself and rely on all the terrific skills that got you where you are. But be careful to recognise when you are being tested, consider the source of the test, and respond to achieve the result you want. Show respect for the existing staff, give everyone a chance, and don’t take anyone else’s word for another’s behaviour — learn for yourself.
Your first 90 days are your time to assess. You should be gathering and understanding the most critical business needs, validating them, assessing how your staff is prepared (or not) to handle them and whether you are staffed and organised correctly to achieve the expected results. This establishes the expectations against which you want to be assessed and reviewed; in the end, will appreciate your strategy but reward your execution.
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Talkback
RE the statement "Moving into the new millennium, companies that can learn to recruit, develop, and retain women CIOs and managers will be far ahead of the others."
Why? Are you saying that Females in these roles are superior to Men of the equivelant education and experience?
Surely with any job these days, and certainly in any company I've worked in, the best person gets it regardless of Gender. I've worked under a female IT manager, and I'm related to one, so perhaps it's more about a lack of female desire to be a CIO than any perceived barriers.
Regardless, the statement made by the author is ridiculous.
I can't help thinking the reason IT is dominated by men is juts simply because computers and the like are just more attractive to men (generally). It has been said that women are more social beings than men and IT can, in some sectors, be very unsociable work.
I am sure it is a point that has been raised already but in trying to attract women to *certain* roles in IT we may, in certain cases, be trying to push square pegs into round holes.
There are many roles in IT which benefit from female input but let's not try to force an issue on misguided notions of sexism when it could really be a simple matter of people gravitating to roles/jobs they enjoy and are more suited to.