In the world of IT, amassing personal power is all about boosting credibility. As Andy Avila, IT and security manager at San Francisco law firm Cooley Godward Kronish says, "Credibility brings power because with it plans have a better chance of standing for themselves."

So how do you go about increasing your credibility? Avila and others share these tried-and-true tips.

1. Focus on clear communication without the technobabble. "A lot of IT people grow up in the IT world. To expand their role and become more important to the organization, they need to learn to speak business," says Paul Lemerise, executive services partner at consulting firm Tatum.

At Colorado State Employees Credit Union, that means sparing executives and other managers detailed technology explanations, says Tom Gonzales, senior network administrator at the Denver organization.

Instead, he translates what he wants to do with the technology into how it affects the bottom line. "They're not going to be impressed with how successfully I can rewrite the code on a PIX firewall. Instead, they want to know that I can upgrade the firewall without hindering productivity," he says. "I need to show them that I took steps to avoid inconveniencing our customers, and that I understand it's not about the technology but about serving the customer."

2. Prioritize technology training for you staff. Don't make the mistake of underusing your training budget, says Donna Manley, IT senior director at the University of Pennsylvania. Taking the time to improve your team is critical for morale and improving your overall approach to technology, she says.

As an example, when Manley was charged with bringing the school's data center to the next level, she sent her team through training to update their skills. "The better they are, the better I am," she says.

Avila also is a big believer in training. "A lot of our training is technical so we [learn to] understand the systems and technologies we're going to be implementing," he says. He encourages his team to get third-party and vendor certifications, as well as attend seminars and join legal services peer groups.

"When you stand up before executives to propose or defend a project, you need that education behind you to gain credibility," he says.