Previously on “CDO Confessions Part1”…
We peeled back the glittery label of the Chief Digital Officer role, you know, the one that promises innovation, impact, and eternal LinkedIn glory. But surprise! Behind the curtain, it’s more juggling act than joyride. In our last episode (or blog), we served up real stories, frameworks too. Now lets get a bit more serious.
Peeling The CDO Onion…
The CDO seat sits at the intersection of business dreams and tech reality, which sounds cool, until you realize you’re navigating two kingdoms with their own languages, priorities, and favorite acronyms.
Add people, politics, process purgatory, and a dash of cultural resistance, and boom, you’ve got yourself a spicy onion of complexity. Yes, it may stink. Yes, you may cry. But trust me if you want to know whether you’re set up to win or doomed to be the digital scapegoat, this onion must be peeled.
Variables, Variables Everywhere!
You could show up every day ready to be the best-ever ‘Chief Digital Officer’ cape on, coffee in hand but this role has more plot twists than a Netflix drama.
The trick? Learn the variables. Who holds the power? What’s the real appetite for change? What game is actually being played? Once you decode that, you’re not just in the room, you’re running it.
Let’s talk about someone who cracked the code: Bertrand Bodson, CDO at Novartis in 2018.
He didn’t just show up with a digital agenda, he learned the business, built trust, and scaled what mattered. He knew the variables, respected the culture, and changed the narrative. He went from CD-Oh-no to CD-Oh-wow , and made pharma innovation look easy (we all know it’s not😊).
And Then Comes Global Plot Twists: Season 5 Was Wild
The last five years? Whew. Even the best CDOs didn’t have this in their playbook.
Tariff wars, a global pandemic, Ukraine conflict, supply chain chaos, regulatory whiplash, it’s like the world went premium on unpredictability. New episodes drop weekly.
Borders got tighter, compliance got louder, and digital went from “nice to have” to “basic survival gear.”
But here’s the upside: if you’ve made it through this mess and still have your digital ambition (and sense of humor) intact, then congrats. You’re already crisis-proof. The rest is just feature upgrades,
Introducing The CDO Checklist
After two decades of helping organizations assess their digital maturity, from strategy and operating models to governance and roadmaps; I realized something simple but powerful: the same tools can help a Chief Digital Officer prepare for success. Because in the end, it all comes down to one question: Can you actually execute your digital agenda?
I originally built a 70-question checklist, but here’s a shorter version to get you started. These questions are grouped into five core dimensions that every CDO must navigate. Miss one, and the whole thing wobbles. Nail them all, and you’re set to lead real change.
Here’s a quick CDO checklist to help you assess your setup and better understand your enterprise environment. For each question, rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest.
Collaboration & Influence
To what extent does your organization have a well-defined digital or IT strategy?
(1 = No strategy, 5 = Clearly defined, communicated, and widely adopted strategy, )
How centralized is your IT or digital governance model?
(1 = Fully decentralized, 3 = Federated, 5 = Fully centralized)
How comprehensive and usable are your enabling artefacts (e.g., policies, playbooks, tech radars)?
(1 = None or ad hoc, 5 = Complete, up-to-date and used actively in decision-making)
Value & Impact
How predictable and stable is your business model in the current geopolitical climate?
(1 = Highly volatile, 5 = Stable with low impact from external geopolitical factors)
How close is your business to the end consumer?
(1 = B2B with long value chains, 5 = Direct-to-consumer relationship)
To what extent does geopolitics impact your product pricing or service delivery?
(1 = Strong impact on pricing/supply chain, 5 = Minimal or no impact)
How culturally diverse and globally integrated is your organization?
(1 = Local, homogeneous culture, 5 = Global, highly diverse culture)
How mature is your organization in terms of age and adaptability?
(1 = Over 100 years and slow to change, 5 = Younger or highly agile despite age)
How would you rate your Net Promoter Score (NPS) trend over the last 5 years?
(1 = Significant decline, 5 = Consistent improvement)
How has your NPS changed over the last 10 years?
(1 = Declined consistently, 5 = Strong, long-term upward trend)
How frequently does your organization engage in mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs, or ecosystem collaborations?
(1 = Rarely or never, 5 = Actively and regularly as part of strategy)
Mandate & Power
How effective are your digital governance structures (e.g., councils, committees, decision boards)?
(1 = None exist, 5 = Multiple well-functioning governance bodies with clear mandates)
Where does the CDO role report within the organization?
(1 = Deep in IT or middle management, 5 = Directly to CEO or board)
Culture & Change Readiness
How courageous is your leadership in making bold, risky decisions for transformation?
(1 = Risk-averse and defensive, 5 = Bold and transformative)
How much compassion and empathy does leadership consistently show to employees?
(1 = Very low, 5 = Actively nurtured and visible in policies/actions)
How often has the organization undergone structural changes (reorgs) in the last 5 years?
(1 = Constant reorganizations every year, 5 = Rare and strategically driven changes)
How frequently have the company’s Vision, Mission, and Values (VMV) changed in the last 5 years?
(1 = Changed almost yearly, 5 = Clear and stable)
How frequently have the VMVs changed in the last 10 years?
(1 = Multiple shifts, 5 = Minor or no changes with sustained relevance)
Tech & Data Foundation
How resilient is your organization’s cybersecurity posture (e.g., breaches in the last 5 years)?
(1 = Multiple serious incidents, 5 = No significant incidents)
How digitally native is your company in terms of product and process design?
(1 = Legacy-driven, 5 = Born digital or fully re-platformed)
What is the age of the oldest core system still in production use?
(1 = 25+ years, 5 = All systems modernized or under 5 years old)
To what extent does cross-border data transfer affect your business operations?
(1 = Critical blocker, 5 = Minimal impact)
Note This checklist is all about your enterprise context, not your personal experience or expertise (though those matter a lot too). In fact, your background plays a big role in how well you’ll fit and thrive in a given enterprise setup. But that’s a story for another blog series, later!
The Final Verdict
Now that you’ve scored your enterprise and have an overall average, let’s walk through what it tells you.
4.0 – 5.0: Green Light! Go! You’ve got the runway, the jet fuel, and the air traffic control to back you. Time to take off and lead real change.
3.0 – 3.9: Proceed with Caution! The pieces are there, but not fully in sync. You’ll need to align minds before moving mountains.
2.0 – 2.9: At Your Own Risk! It’s a wobbly setup — tech gaps, trust issues, and governance voids. Your influence game better be strong.
1.0 – 1.9: No Travel Zone! You’re set up to fail unless something changes. Patch the basics, clarify the mandate, and manage expectations like a pro.
A Starting Point for Navigating Complex Realities
The summary score and final verdict above provide a simplified view of a complex framework intended only as a starting point. I’ve deliberately left out the time dimension, even though timing is just as critical as any of the variables mentioned. This overview reflects only the average scope, not the true nuance of each of the five dimensions or their specific relevance to you and your enterprise. The real insight emerges when we visualize your unique situation using a radar chart, mapping scores across each dimension to reflect the true profile of your organization. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to explore this further.
Stay Tuned!
That’s a wrap on the CDO Checklist! Whether you scored high and are riding a digital unicorn, landed in the middle juggling strategy, or found yourself facing a dragon; you’ve got a clearer view of the game. But don’t put down your cape just yet. In Part 3, we’ll uncover the secrets of Digital Governance, your ultimate secret weapon to cut through chaos and avoid becoming the Chief Disappointment Officer😉. Stay tuned, your digital adventure is just getting started!