Bringing IT and the Business Together

Using language, metrics and advocacy to bridge the separation between departments

Funny thing about the word “and.” You would think it would function as a connector, a word that implies the togetherness of two entities, like “stars and stripes” or “franks and beans.” Yet the phrase “IT and the business” does not work that way. Rather, it connotes separateness and difference, creating an “us and them” perception that belies the actual embedded condition of IT.

“That phrase drives me up the wall,” says Bill Blausey, CIO of Eaton Corporation. “I correct my team if they use it. We are all tied together too tightly to use terms that create separation.”

As any marginalized group will tell you, the language people use to describe it has a powerful impact on how it is perceived. But changing language is only one step. Relationship building and metrics also have roles to play in taking on this paradox:  You are intimately involved in the business but considered separate and removed from it.

Funny thing about the word “and.” You would think it would function as a connector, a word that implies the togetherness of two entities, like “stars and stripes” or “franks and beans.” Yet the phrase “IT and the business” does not work that way. Rather, it connotes separateness and difference, creating an “us and them” perception that belies the actual embedded condition of IT.

“That phrase drives me up the wall,” says Bill Blausey, CIO of Eaton Corporation. “I correct my team if they use it. We are all tied together too tightly to use terms that create separation.”

As any marginalized group will tell you, the language people use to describe it has a powerful impact on how it is perceived. But changing language is only one step. Relationship building and metrics also have roles to play in taking on this paradox: You are intimately involved in the business but considered separate and removed from it.

“We used to be the IT organization, but we changed our name to ‘Information, Process and Organization,’” says Dave Patzwald, senior VP of Integration Services at Schneider Electric. “The new name is good marketing, and the rebranding process was a chance to re-engage the company about what we do.”