CIO Time Management Advice? $379

I’ve always had respect for Forrester Research, despite complaints such as this. Maybe the Christmas to New Year’s holiday interregnum is to blame, but a recent recent report advising CIOs on how to spend their time just seems obvious to me. Here is the executive summary, reprinted in full:

With the exception of possibly the CEO, the CIO’s business calendar is the most difficult to manage. The key? CIOs should balance time management in ways that do not deprive any key constituents of essential time. Each stakeholder group is equally important, and a disproportionate allocation of the CIO’s focus and attention will be detrimental to the enterprise and to the CIO’s success. Forrester’s 30-30-30-10 model forces disciplined balance across constituents, which are classified into four groups: above, across, below, and yourself. This time model will keep IT front-of-mind in the business and allow CIOs to do what they do best: proving and delivering IT value to the enterprise.

I can handle consultant bullshit-speak as well as the next guy, but just look at this nonsense. The report is five pages long and costs $379, and recommends spending time managing your management, your peers, your subordinates, and yourself. I suppose it makes sense, although those priorities could be argued. Either way, you could probably spend $20 in an airport bookstore and find more sophisticated advice than is presented in this research report.

Hate to say it, but Forrester seems to be reaching into the bottom of the barrel on this one. Well, guess it was a slow news week back at the ranch…