Moving IT up the value chain

The fact that non-IT executives don't understand the process of aligning IT and business objectives means they can't be very supportive, which places a big burden on CIOs. For many companies, achieving balance means changing the perception of IT by moving the IT organization up the value chain. To do that, first take a hard look at the skill sets of your team beyond the requirements of IT. If necessary, add generalists to your staff and invest in developing communication skills. Assign IT liaisons to functional groups such as HR, sales and finance; the liaison pro-actively works with the department to develop and refine IT requirements and along the way, learns how their "customer" does business. Also, foster teaming by creating stakeholder councils, insuring that all parties are grounded in the strategy and that objectives remain on target. Finally, shift a portion of your staff's compensation structure to reward for the satisfaction of users.

Learn more about changing the perception of IT:
- Read the article at CIO Update