CIOs are often tasked with the responsibility of maintaining strong relationships between the IT department and other parts of the business. This goal requires tremendous patience and strategic thinking, but a few best practices can help make it an easier task.
1. Prioritize the organization’s objectives
While challenging, it’s the CIO’s responsibility to constantly evaluate whether the IT department is working on initiatives that actually help the broader organization get one step closer to meeting its objectives. If IT staff are focused on too many trivial tasks, they won’t have time to focus on initiatives that will help push the company forward.
Related: Improving Culture and Community in Remote Work: An Interview with Anna Dearmon Kornick at Clockwise
2. Tune into business needs
Once CIOs understand the needs of the organization and pair those goals with those of their department, they can lay the groundwork for more collaborative relationships between IT and the rest of the company.
Read more on IT Business Edge: IT Isn’t Keeping Up With Business Needs
3. Truncate tech jargon
Using overly technical terms to explain concepts and processes to non-IT stakeholders can create confusion and frustration, thus delaying progress and success. Instead, it’s best to learn how to translate tech jargon into language your co-workers outside of IT will be able to understand easily.
Read more on TechRepublic: In the new year, resolve to use less jargon and bring clarity to business conversations
4. Champion the intuitive
Approachability in working relationships is essential to strengthening collaboration between IT and business. This is especially true when it comes to the technology that CIOs are responsible for deploying and maintaining for the broader team. CIOs should therefore pursue the most intuitive and easy-to-use solutions.
Learn what constitutes intuitive design on IT Business Edge: UX/UI: Trends to Watch and Mistakes to Avoid
5. Encourage self-reliance
Introducing no-code technology can establish cohesiveness, as more people can feel confident about the tools they use and tailor them to their individual needs rather than seeking additional software to accomplish the same goal. Intuitive technology also empowers business users to become more self-reliant, so they don’t constantly call IT to train people or fix problems.
Explore other tools for self-reliance on TechRepublic: 10 ways IT can use self service
6. Ask for and act on feedback
Ultimately, the relationship between IT and business must be maintained to function long-term in a collaborative manner. People and processes change frequently, so CIOs should continuously communicate across departments and solicit feedback on technology and initiatives.
Read more on TechRepublic: If you’re asking for feedback, make sure you use it—or at least explain why you’re not
