Leader: Time for techies to break out of the IT crowd

The debut of new Channel 4 sitcom The IT Crowd later this week - which, by the way, has already been panned after silicon.com's Weekly Round-Up saw a preview - is likely to set back the cause of IT workers everywhere with its hackneyed and clichéd jokes reinforcing the geek stereotype.

IT pros in the server room have long since developed a thick skin about the geek jokes but it can be more of a problem for those moving up the management ladder, who will often find they are viewed as nothing more than an extension of helpdesk support by other business managers and the board room.

Getting boxed into IT is a fear for many in the profession and half of silicon.com's CIO Jury said last week that the geek tag is still a barrier preventing IT execs moving into broader business roles.

There isn't a simple answer to battling the stereotype but there are steps that IT staff - from those on the helpdesk right up to the CIO - can take to break down those barriers and open up their career options.

As Manpower's US-based global CIO Rick Davidson told silicon.com this week: "Get out of your office and go spend time with the business leaders, go spend time with the clients or customers."

Even if that doesn't automatically earn you the respect you're after, you will understand a hell of a lot more about how the business works and it will make you much more effective in your job.

Davidson speaks from experience. He's spent the last two-and-a-half years flying around the world meeting business managers and frontline staff from the 72 countries the recruitment company operates in. That allowed him to forge genuine relationships, "break bread" and gain their trust and respect ahead of a huge IT-based business transformation programme.

The key here isn't just about being seen to do the right thing and "engage" IT with the business. It's about really getting to know how the business works, and what technology can do to improve that - because the way people work and the ability to change that is one of the key factors in any major business transformation programme.

As Manpower's Davidson points out: "Getting people to change the way they work - that's the hard part. The technology is probably pretty straightforward. It's always about getting people to change behaviours. That's where an effective CIO will shine if they are able to change the way people behave and change business processes."

And the only way to do that is to get out there, be proactive and ensure that IT has a voice in every part of the business and not just the server room or the helpdesk.