How to build up ties with C-suite peers

By Ernst & Young

Across numerous interviews, a clear set of principles emerge that governs how leading CIOs should develop and nurture the key relationships they need for success. The main principles are as follows.

1. Establish trust and credibility by building up a solid track record: to gain the trust of others, CIOs need to draw up a strong list of accomplishments. ``You need a databank of successful projects, so that people see you as someone stable and successful in implementing what’s needed,’’ says Asian Paints CIO Manish Choksi.

2. Gain an understanding of other executives’ issues, in the context of their function or unit: this also involves getting a clear sense of the targets and goals that they’re pursuing. ``I’m not a tax expert, but I’ve spent time understanding what the key issues are within that function,’’ says Ernst & Young Global CIO Maureen Osborne.

3. Help people in a fix: whenever possible, try to go the extra mile to help another business leader in a tight spot. ``Do something out of the ordinary that gets someone out of a hole,” says HDFC Bank CIO Anil Jaggia.

4. Invest time with people, both formally and informally: it’s important to have regular meetings to discuss fixed issues, but also make the time to network less formally ― such as over lunch or coffee. ``Even if there is no particular new situation that requires you to talk to these key people, make sure that you have regular interactions with them anyway,’’ says Bayer Group CIO Daniel Hartert.

5. Set up cross-functional internal stakeholder groups: establish cross-functional teams to brainstorm and develop ideas for future development. ``If IT can be a leader within these groups, it builds a strong position for later on,’’ says Marek Frackiewicz, CIO of Polski Koncern Naftowy ORLEN.

6. Be proactive and positive about engagement: although it’s easy to fear the risk of simply adding to their workload, CIOs need to be proactive about reaching out to other divisions. They also need to share their natural enthusiasm for what IT can do. ``It’s not easy to go there and to say, `Okay guys, let’s do something together,’ but you need to,’’ says Adrien Gonckel, CIO of Givaudan.

This article was contributed by Ernst & Young, a leading global professional services firm.