Bridging the gap between a company’s IT organization and business users is a daunting task, but not an impossible one. Scott Lowe, the founder of The 1610 Group, argues that it is within the CIO’s power to prove that IT is an “equal and capable business partner” so long as he or she receives a little help from peers on the other side of the technology spectrum.

In Lowe’s experience, transforming the image of the IT department starts at the help desk. CIOs must ensure that their organization is hiring qualified professionals, or alternatively, outsourcing frontline support to a third party.

Shadow IT is another major pain point that needs to addressed. Unauthorized use of technologies such as AWS can be prevented by implementing project portfolio management mechanisms, formal project management methodologies and most importantly, an overarching governance structure. He stresses that the latter must be created in collaboration with other members of the senior leadership team.

In this day and age, IT departments should focus less on technology and more on enabling the business. According to Lowe, this transformation can be achieved by reforming printer support, account creation and other legacy services that are not aligned with the core business; and by healing the divide between IT personnel and other teams. By assigning staffers to committees and as liaisons to other departments, CIOs can kill two birds with one stone: they can ensure members of their team gain an understanding of their colleagues’ business needs while providing the latter group with an opportunity to interact with the IT organization.

Lowe’s final point is that in order to improve the image of IT, CIOs need to get their hands dirty, too.

“Perception is reality. So often, I hear that staff members, including those in the C-suite, never see or hear from IT staff, including the CIO. It’s critical, especially for the CIO, to be visible, particularly with his C-level colleagues. To that end, don’t hide!”