We begin by identifying the three critical areas that need the most attention:

Organization: This involves how the CEO structures the management of a company - especially where the CIO sits in the decision-making flow.

Communication: Going beyond how CEOs and CIOs simply communicate with each other, this encompasses the way CEOs convey the importance of technology and of the chief technologist to the management team

Process: This entails where the chief technologist fits in the procedural makeup of the company and specifically deals with how much management control the CIO has over technology projects once they're slated for business units.

Technology and the Org Chart

To leverage technology and integrate it with the company's strategic business goals, it's essential that the chief executive include the CIO among his or her closest advisors and decision makers. If the top dozen or so executives at the company set the IT priorities for the organization together, then the resistance to carrying out the IT agenda - for instance, concern among business units that technology is a cost item that will hurt their P&L results long before it helps - will be mitigated.