What does the grass really look like on the other side

When coaching IT leaders, the question often comes up whether to stay within IT or move into a business role. As they say, the grass looks greener on the other side!
As I reflect upon my own move into business roles, I realize it was motivated out of a sense that within the organization, I could only progress so far within IT.
If I wanted to increase my contribution to the company and further my own career, I needed to move into a business role. I believe that this statement is still “sadly” true in many organizations.
IT is often viewed as a” trading requirement” as opposed to a true enabler of business growth.
In fact, most boards remain largely in the dark when it comes to IT spending and strategy.
Even though corporate information assets can account for more than 50% of capital spending, boards often fall into the default mode of applying a set of tacit or explicit rules cobbled together from the “best practices” of other firms.
Few understand the full degree of their operational dependence on computer systems or the extent to which IT plays a role in shaping their firms’ strategies.
If IT had the appropriate representation at the highest levels, including the board, its leaders would not be faced with the question of whether to be in IT or the business.
Rather, they will be focused on taking IT to a new level, thinking with, and being directly involved in shaping the vision for the company.
At GCD, we approach this dilemma from two different perspectives:
- We help companies ensure they have the appropriate level of IT representation at the senior management level, and...
- We help IT leaders work through their understanding of how they can better support the business from within IT.
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