Personal behaviors affect the relationship between IT and the business more than technology or processes, according to a new study conducted by the Hertz Group and Neochange.

By Dr. Paul Hertz and Chris Dowse
Published in the May 2009 edition of CIO Insight

What do the following two statistics say about the state of IT-business partnerships?

• Ninety-four percent of IT executives say they’re expected to change the way business works


• Seven in 10 say CIOs have less prestige than other C-level executives. (Source: CIO Insight’s 2009 CIO Role study)

These results suggest that “partnership” is, in most cases, a gross overstatement of the IT-business relationship. Despite attempts by IT shops to demonstrate value and earn a seat at the table, the IT-business relationship remains more of an “us and them” than a “we.”

What stands in the way of reshaping or forging new bonds across the IT boundary? It’s really no different from the root of most conflicts: behavior.

The uniform makeup of typical IT leadership teams fosters an unconscious, self-protective response to challenging and changing internal business environments. The very characteristics that focus and enable success in shaping IT capability (“Do it right”) and driving IT responsiveness (“Just do it, find a way”) are often detrimental to building partnerships, for they morph into behavior that appears self-righteous and even self-serving - hardly an enticement to enter into a relationship. But let’s back up and take a look at why this situation persists.

Why don’t IT leaders understand this and change their behavior?