360°IT Blog
Why "alignment" rings alarm bells
For years the phrase "aligning IT to the business" has been a mantra for aspiring CIOs. It's been said long and often that "alignment" is key to gaining credibility and visibility at board level. But it seems to me the very nature of the phrase sets the perception that IT is somehow different and separate from "the business", whatever that business may be.
Have you ever heard of aligning HR or finance or procurement to the business? No. These are functions which are regarded as integral to any business operation and are assumed to be at its heart. So why is IT different? Sure, it's a Johnny-come-lately compared with the likes of accounting. And, as we now see, almost every employee has some form of IT in their own home. They may not be so proficient at managing the household budget, nor do they use traditional HR techniques to performance-manage the children, but it seems these days everyone has a view on how to run IT.
Consider the recent promotion of Philip Clarke to the role of chief executive at Tesco. In the press, he has been referred to variously as 'CIO', 'international director' and 'international and IT director'. In reality, I imagine that as well as being recognised for the obvious IT developments at Tesco in recent years, Clarke has been chosen as much for his work in the international arena. And I'd like to bet if you asked him whether he'd ever told the board he was “aligning IT to the business”, he'd regard it as a completely bizarre question.
Likewise, to aspiring CIOs who similarly want, in time, to become CEOs, I'd say always look at the business holistically, not from an IT perspective. That said, do keep your anorak to hand - just in case!
Denise Plumpton is Non-Executive Director of 360°IT.
Tags:
business strategy, IT strategy, CIO, governance, organisational structure, alignment, perception of IT, bunker mentality, business relationships
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