We are bringing you news and highlights from Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo, taking place this week in Barcelona, Spain. Below is a collection of the key announcements and insights coming out of the conference. You can read the highlights from Day 1 here.
On Day 2 from the conference, we are unveiling the findings of Gartner’s annual CIO & technology executive survey, sharing insights on the metaverse, and data-driven DEI programs. Be sure to check this page throughout the day for updates.
Presented by Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst, Gartner
Executive leaders gained lots of influence during the pandemic, but now may be struggling to sustain that influence. In this session, Daniel Sanchez-Reina, VP Analyst at Gartner, explained how CIOs and technology executives have the opportunity to demonstrate their business understanding, impact, contributions, and limitations of their organizations.
“CEOs are investing to deliver digital “dividends” in four areas: digital capabilities, information technology, people and culture development, and product enhancement.”
“Executives are not satisfied with digital execution: 59% of executives say the time to complete initiatives is behind expectations, and 52% of executives say the time to realize value is behind expectations.”
“To accelerate digital dividends, reconcile execution siloes and catalyze unconventional talent and practices.”
“CEOs know very well that digital acceleration cannot be achieved without the technological contribution of the entire enterprise. That is why they want to increase the digital dexterity of all employees.”
“You have to rely on talent you don’t trust. Foster the creation of business techs and resort to unconventional talent. Unconventional is not “supplemental labor” anymore: it is needed labor.”
“Meet the moment. Deliver the dividends again!”
Learn more in the Gartner press release “Gartner Survey of Over 2,000 CIOs Reveals Four Ways to Deliver Digital Dividends and Demonstrate Financial Impact of Technology Investments.”
Presented by Marty Resnick, VP Analyst, Gartner
The metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality. In this session, Marty Resnick, VP Analyst at Gartner, shared an introduction to metaverse and the three stages of its development over the next eight years.
“The metaverse will be persistent. Digital assets will be coupled with the real world.”
“The metaverse will support decentralization. Some worlds will use Web 3.0 or blockchain-based technologies to decentralize services.”
“The metaverse will be collaborative. It will offer immersive workplaces, virtual classrooms and virtual events.”
“The metaverse will be interoperable. Digital assets, digital currencies, digital humans and digital twins shared across worlds.”
The metaverse will develop through three overlapping stages from 2022 through the early 2030s.
Emerging: Most use cases are around the kind of virtual reality experiences often found in gaming, for example.
Advanced: Protocols start to emerge to facilitate interoperability across miniverses, digital humans and digital twins, along with digital currencies and assets becoming common.
Presented by Debra Logan, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner
More and more enterprises are creating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in response to talent shortages, investor pressure, brand enhancement and societal trends. In this session, Debra Logan, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner shared how DEI really works and how leaders can help their enterprises achieve data-driven diversity, equity and inclusion.
“We need metrics, but realistically, we need to focus. If we think first about our baselines and our objectives, set some targets and goals, we can then move on to more productive activity.”
There are three neuroscientific ideas that can better organization’s DEI programs:
1. Diversity is change, and change is difficult
2. Unconscious bias training does not result in sustainable change
3. Legislation and policy must be accompanied by inclusion and equity that affect behavior change
“Diversity on its own elicits fear and anxiety. Our fear of difference is primal. In the absence of information, our brain decides someone from an “out-group” is a threat.”
“Getting good at DEI requires that people work on their own Emotional Intelligence (EI) and self awareness.”
“Feeling included at work accounts for 35% of employees' emotional investment in their work and 20% of their desire to stay.”
“Increasingly, leaders are recognizing the importance of inclusive leadership and are seeking to address their lack of understanding of the drivers and competencies.”
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) delivers actionable, objective insight that drives smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities. To learn more, visit gartner.com.
Laurence Goasduff
Gartner
laurence.goasduff@gartner.com
