CIOs are feeling the heat, says survey

CIOs are feeling the pressure, with half believing it is becoming increasingly difficult to meet the expectations of the business, according to the latest census of IT leaders by CIO Connect.

One reason is that their colleagues may have a better grip on IT issues - two-thirds of CIOs interviewed conceded that the average business manager's knowledge of IT is improving. As a result, the more line-of-business managers know about IT, the more they are going to complain when they feel they are not getting enough from the IT department.

But CIOs also contend that their knowledge of the business is improving, with 75 per cent believing they are the source of new ideas for business solutions.

The CIO-level view of the tangled relationship between the business and the IT department is at the heart of the annual census from CIO Connect, a networking organisation for senior IT management, which is sponsored by the SAS Institute. But the message is not all bad.

Margaret Smith, chief executive of CIO Connect, said: "This year's census shows CIOs have a firm grasp of the business challenges ahead and are working to deliver... business agility. It is also clear they are spinning more plates than ever before. Today's CIO has to be a manager, a leader, an innovator, a teacher, a policeman and a politician all rolled into one."

The survey was conducted with 122 UK CIOs across all industry sectors.

Colin Barker writes for ZDNet UK