The CIO of any business plays a crucial role, which can often be overlooked. Responsible for an organisation’s entire IT infrastructure, the buck really does stop with them if something goes wrong–especially as we now live in a world where businesses simply cannot function without technology or the internet. And as policies like BYOD and other smart devices gain popularity in the workplace, it’s more important than ever for CIOs to take the spotlight and help their enterprise reach its goals.

Good Communication = Good Performance

Following research by PWC, which you can read here, it’s been proven that companies with good communication between the CIO and other C-Suite executives are four times more likely to be top performers than their rivals. Even with such busy schedules, it’s important that the C-suite has strong communications amongst themselves as it’s a lot more likely that this best practice will be used across the business and information will be effectively communicated both up and down. Take BYOD as an example; this has been causing headaches for CIOs across the business world. There are obvious advantages but at the same time very real risks. To handle this effectively, it’s important that CIOs know what is being used, the intention of use in the future, and to be one of the first to identify potential issues. The only way that can happen is through effective communication.

Know How Technology is Being Used

A CIO must also be aware of how employees cope with the existing technology available to them. For example, if the majority of employees are struggling to use in-house software and technology, this could be dramatically reducing productivity. In larger enterprises, it is impossible for the CIO to individually survey employees for their feedback on IT. For this reason, it is important to encourage a conversation between employees and their management, who can then feedback as a whole to the CIO, and vice versa. These problems can then be discussed between the C-Suite and CIO and a solution found. The importance of this communication between the CIO and the board is something Michael Hickins touches on in his Wall Street Journal blog.

However, doing this requires a lot of data. No matter how big or small the organisation is, each team will have its own individual needs. If there isn’t communication between the management and the CIO, it will be impossible for the CIO to address these issues efficiently, harming overall productivity.

One System for All

What’s needed is an overview of the enterprise’s current IT infrastructure and its plans for the future in a way that’s easy to digest and suitable for busy people. Mindjet’s software can help give CIOs just that: a holistic overview of what’s working, what isn’t, what needs to be done and how to do it.

For example, the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust in the UK had to integrate its software systems with another company it acquired. Mindjet enabled Dominic McKenny, Director of Informatics, to view how the systems from both organisations worked and how they could fit together. It also allowed for collaboration from both sides and was an easy way for him to present his findings and ideas to the board. All of this led to a successful integration, with McKenny using Mindjet software for other projects and everyday working life.

It’s this sort of collaboration that can give businesses a real boost in performance, and who would turn that down?