Bridging the Chasm: Creating Close-knit IT and C-Suite Relationships

Joe Topinka, award-winning CIO, founder of the CIO Mentor, LLC, published author, and a member of BRM Institute Executive Council recently took the virtual podium to share his thoughts and golden nuggets of professional wisdom with dozens of attendees of the “Bridging the Chasm: Creating Close-knit IT and C-Suite Relationships” BRM Institute webinar. In the hour-long presentation packed with recent research findings and actionable insights, Mr. Topinka discussed the following topics:

1. CEO & Executive Perspectives of IT

2. The C-Suite/IT Leadership Crisis

3. Ideas to inform and educate the C-suite

4. Concepts that bridge the C-suite/IT chasm

5. Pragmatic tools that build trust and confidence

According to a 2014 Garnter survey Mr. Topinka cited, the interest in IT among C-suite executives is at its highest level in a decade, yet alarmingly few senior business executives know how to effectively capitalize on the IT capabilities and often lack an understanding of the profound disruptive changes brought on by the latest developments in digital technologies. Only 22% of the C-suite executives list IT among their top three priorities. The problem is further compounded by the historically large confidence gap that the C-suite executives have both in the IT itself as well as its abilities to deliver. Yet, every organization today, regardless of its industry, is powered by IT.  Organizations, which recognize the crucial role of IT and push for effective integration of IT into the business, are 4 times more likely to achieve their revenue and profit targets. With the stakes so high, a growing number of organizations implement Business Relationship Management (BRM) capability to help mend the relationships between IT and the business, facilitate the value-focused dialog between them, and drive transformation of IT from an order taker to trusted advisor, to business peer, to business game changer.

With all the apparent signs of profound changes, there still will be some organizations that, “just are not gonna get it,” but the careers of those CIOs, who fail to recognize the profound changes and are unable to lead the IT-to-business convergence, will be short lived.

Complete HD recording of Joe Topinka’s webinar is now available on YouTube and Vimeo.