More than two-thirds of CIOs say that their CEOs view IT as a cost of doing business?and not, unfortunately, as a business enabler. That’s according to a survey of more than 700 CIOs by Meta Group. Findings from CIO’s “State of the CIO 2003” survey showed similar numbers: A whopping 84 percent of 539 respondents said IT was budgeted as a cost center, while only 16 percent said IT was budgeted as an investment center that creates new business capabilities. While you know that IT has strategic value, chances are your CEO doesn’t, and it’s up to you to show him. According to Jonathan Poe, senior vice president at Meta Group, CIOs typically aren’t proactive in communicating and demonstrating IT’s value to business executives. Those who are believe that solving alignment problems will put IT on the CEO’s radar.Best PracticesStrengthen and nurture the important relationships. Street-smart CIOs manage executive relationships in a high-touch manner (lots of face time) that simultaneously increases business perception and CIO credibility. “A strategic relationship with the CEO requires a lot of reinforcement,” says Meta Group’s Jonathan Poe. “Relationships taken for granted are typically short-lived.”Mediate via portfolio management. Portfolio management (the practice of administering IT projects and assets as an investment portfolio with expected payback returns) can help overcome the gulf between business and IT executives. IT portfolios have transparent and holistic views of the organization, which help businesses understand more fully the collaboration needed to balance and satisfy enterprise and line-of-business requirements. Make value an everyday execution. Most CIOs understand that they need to communicate IT value. Before communication, however, they must create and demonstrate IT value, both strategic (such as time-to-market) and tactical (system availability). Mold a staff to reflect your values and leadership style. “Too many CIOs make do with an inherited staff that was built for someone else [who has left],” says Poe. Skilled CIOs assemble staff and deputies who both enhance their strengths and overcome their shortcomings. By possessing a staff that shares a vision, mission and principles, an IT organization will more consistently reflect the thoughts, words and deeds of its leader?the CIO. “Not having nearly identical communication and action is what causes businesses to question CIO authenticity, integrity and credibility,” says Poe. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe