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Support from the CEO and other C-suite executives can be critical to the outcome of major IT initiatives, and working closely with these alleged peers in senior management is a measure of CIO success.
But many CIOs, particularly those who came up through the tech ranks, find it daunting to develop a good relationship with the CEO. Relationship-building is an organic and there certainly is no magic formula to it, but there are a few ways to help the process along.
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- 1.Make Yourself Bilingual
Effective CIOs should be tech savvy enough to speak geek. But fluency in business language is critical, too. Speaking to the CEO in his or her language builds trust. - 2. Give Them Dashboards
Don’t drown your CEO in log reports and reams of technical data. Distill data into concise formats that give an easy snapshot of the state of matters, including visuals if possible. - 3. Cut Costs Without Being Asked
Being proactive in identifying efficiencies will make you popular in the corner office. - 4. Expand Your Metrics
ROI and cost are critical, but they aren’t the only useful measurements. When the C-suite initiates projects, ask upfront how they would determine success of the project. Measure accordingly, and report back frequently. - 5. Tell It to Them Straight
Your CEO will appreciate it when you’re honest about the cost of business decisions as they relate to IT investments. - 6. Listen. Really.
Pay attention to what the CEO and the line-of-business executives say they really need in order to make technology investments line up with business goals. - 7. Make Yourself Visible
It is more important now than ever to communicate and interact with line-of-business leaders, and to find out how their strategies are changing with the latest developments. - 8. Show, Don’t Tell
Show them you’re a strategic asset to the team by establishing a big-picture plan that enables the business. Don’t be afraid of a little self promotion by marketing those plans to the rest of the C-suite. - 9. Ask for Feedback
Ask how you can help your CEO achieve her goals and for feedback on how you’re doing so far. Then act on the information. - 10. Establish a Culture of Support
Interactions between IT employees and line-of-business workers make their way up the gossip chain. Make sure employees are trained and culture is established to support business.
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Leadership 
