We’re living in a time when technology has made communication faster, easier, and more accessible than ever before. We can message, call, ping, tag, or sync in seconds. And yet, in most organizations, we still hear the same things: “I didn’t know,” “I missed that update,” or “We’re not aligned.”
In my experience, the issue is rarely the absence of information. It’s that communication is happening—just not landing.
Every generation seems nostalgic for the tool that came before. Email felt too slow, until instant messaging flooded our day. Video calls closed the distance but made it harder to focus. We’ve added formats, but not always clarity.
Over the years, I’ve found that connection doesn’t come from the channel. It comes from how you use it. These are three principles I’ve relied on to keep communication meaningful across teams:
1. Adjust the style
Know who you’re speaking to—and how they process information. If you use the right tool with the wrong tone or structure, your message can feel off, no matter how relevant it is. Great communication starts with knowing your audience.
2. Keep it brief
Remember when Mark Twain said, ““I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” That’s because clarity takes effort. When information is dense, fragmented, or over explained, it gets ignored. Focus on what matters most—and say it with intention. Brevity builds trust.
3. Choose the right channel
Not everything needs a meeting. Not everything works in a slide deck. Sometimes an email is better left unsent. Misalignment often isn’t about what was said, but how and where it was delivered. Use the channel that respects the message—and the person receiving it.
These ideas aren’t complicated. But they’ve helped me communicate more clearly—especially across complex teams, fast-moving projects, and digital-first environments.
Technology gives us reach. But connection? That still depends on how well we listen, shape, and deliver what we say.
The role of the CIO has changed dramatically over the past few years – especially the last three to four. And the primary reason for this is the massive increase in the data we produce as individuals and, therefore, collectively as enterprises. When the amount of information increases in this dramatic manner, it stands to reason that the Chief Information Officer has a lot more to do in terms of controlling it and making it work for the organization.
These have been the two areas of my focus over these past few years. Actually, this control of information flow in the enterprise and harnessing it to create business value has always been my role. It has just become tremendously enhanced and exciting in these recent times. With the excitement, however, comes the stress of managing such volumes of valuable information and addressing the various strategic, tactical challenges that modern data ecosystems face, including (and at the top of the list) aspects such as governance and cyber security.
My typical day as a manager of information system frameworks is reflective of this major change in information systems themselves. I thought it would be of value, therefore, to outline what my typical day (and the day of any IS leader) looks like.
Well begun actually is half done – in more ways than one!
While I think it is true of most modern professions, the task of leading the management of complex information systems today is a highly stressful ask – one that takes a high degree of multi-tasking and concurrent focus on several strategic priorities. The golden hour from 6.30 onwards help me prepare for the excitement of the day ahead. I am a firm believer in the “healthy mind in healthy body” saying and my passion for cycling supports this intent. Every morning, I make it a point to cycle – to clear my mind and get alertness levels up. Cycling also gives me the focused time to get my thoughts sorted – I have realized over time that some of the best ideas come to me as I am out cycling.
The day is all about balance
As I mentioned, there are myriad priorities that the modern-day CIO has to account for. We live in a world surrounded by data but I refer to this as data madness. My actions and interactions through my day cover some of the most important aspects related to managing this data madness and introducing method into it.
Some of the most critical topics that my peers, business colleagues, team and I cover everyday centre around:
Data aggregation and analytics to create insights to support business decisions and direction
Cost and spend management to get targeted returns in an optimized manner
Managing risks related to information systems and business continuity
Always staying prepared and protected against cyberattacks
Focusing on the creative ideation to drive strategic initiatives, examples of which include ERP modernization, B2B e-commerce, AI applications, etc.
As is visible from the list, the day in the life of a CIO is filled with the challenge of adapting to an exciting, new, digital-first world while ensuring that strong planning, program management and cost management help make it reality. Of course, there are several other aspects that are inherent in any leadership position – activities such as talent management, vendor ecosystem alignment and ensuring that IS teams rapidly adapt to organisational changes form part of the daily routine as well.
In all of this, the importance of “balance” cannot be understated. I strongly recommend that breaks during the day (a leisurely lunch alone or brainstorming with colleagues, a 15-minute walk every few hours to give the body the rejuvenation it needs, etc.) should form part of all our schedules.
Focusing on who we do it all for
At the end of the day, we do what we do to create a better future for our family and give ourselves an enriching existence. I make it a point therefore to leave office by 7.00 / 7.30 PM to give myself enough time with family and friends. Those who know me, know that I am passionate about my hobbies – pens, watches, video games and reading. These hobbies help me further strike the balance between the pressures of our professional existence and a fulfilling life.
Do what matters and do it well
Describing my day is my way of sharing what my life experiences have moulded me into. I truly believe that habits get formed young – of course, there is no age where one cannot reinvent themselves but the discipline one sets at a young age goes a long way in creating lasting personalities. The main advice I would have for young people, therefore, gets captured in that word I used here earlier – balance. Whether between physical wellbeing and mental, work priorities and family, this concept of balance is what will help achieve all that one aspires for. And more.
Large scale projects are inherently complex and demand an evolved approach through effective program management. I consider “program management” to be an evolved science which is all about managing an intricate and closely-connected set of projects to drive a common outcome. In programs of this nature, synergy and consistency play a most important role. Program management succeeds only when the diverse projects under it (and the matrix of diverse tasks further under each project) are coordinated with the highest levels of synergy and consistency. To treat it as one rather than many in a manner that is effective and success-oriented requires the coming together of seven key factors in my opinion.
The first is strong leadership and governance. Leadership matters when it comes to setting a vision, effectively aligning teams around common goals and making strategic decisions. A governance structure that clearly defines the roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes, can help guide projects through the various complexities and changes that they face.
The second is ensuring a comprehensive project management framework. It is essential to adopt a robust project management methodology that can be applied consistently across different countries and teams. This must be an end-to-end framework that includes all best practices for planning, executing, monitoring and closing projects. It also has to be flexible enough to accommodate local variations, and yet, stringent enough to maintain overall coherence and quality.
Then there is the need for advanced communication technologies. To stay in the game, one needs to leverage state-of-the-art communication and collaboration tools that bridge the gap between multiple time zones and geographical locations. This is the age of nearshore, off-shore and on-shore collaboration, which is why it is important to ensure that these technologies facilitate real-time communication, file sharing and promote collaborative work. This is the best way to ensure that all team members can contribute effectively, regardless of their physical location.
However, geographically distributed teams, typical in large programs, need to be conscious of cultural competence. For program management to be effective, a deep understanding of, and respect for the cultural differences within the global team is crucial. Even if it involves additional effort in terms of training team members in cross-cultural communication, empathy and inclusiveness. This aspect really matters- because it is what fosters a collaborative and respectful working environment.
While implementing large programs, one can never underestimate the key role played by smart, tailored risk management strategies. Such strategies involve contingency planning and regular risk assessments. When unique risks associated with global projects such as geopolitical uncertainties, currency fluctuations and diverse regulatory environments are identified, proactive risk assessment and mitigation strategies are important to negate their occurrence and tide over challenges effectively (and rapidly) if these risks do come into play.
The sixth pillar is effective stakeholder engagement. It is absolutely essential to ensure clear ongoing communication with all stakeholders, including clients, partners, suppliers and team members. Understanding their needs, expectations and concerns, while also keeping them informed about the progress of the project and issues that may arise, is a must in order to maintain trust and alignment.
Finally, continuous learning and improvement. The success of anything depends on how you put what you learn into practice and this will always be an ongoing process. Similarly, establishing mechanisms for capturing lessons learned and best practices from each project, and using this knowledge gained to continuously improve program management processes and outcomes is what makes it a success.
I have had the opportunity several times in my career to manage a wide range of projects and programs – ranging from small projects at the start of my career to increasingly complex, high-risk and strategically important projects as I went further. Whether it was a simple, on-site process or ones that were large and spread across the world, these seven principles have remained the consistent backbone of ensuring that they were delivered successfully.
Marco's thoughts 