We Can’t Fix Everything
In many organizations, there is a tension between the business and IT group. Business units are focused on market needs, employee productivity, and bottom line results. Depending on the organization, IT might be considered a friendly help desk, a necessary evil, or a wet blanket. 

On the other hand, IT is worried about security threats, system reliability, and operational costs. They can come across as defensive when approached with new ideas to meet business needs. However, in the best scenarios, business can provide meaning to the work of IT and be a source of innovation. 
There are a lot of ideas as to why the relationship between business and IT is problematic – competing pressures, different cultures, and personalities. While structure can help ease some of the tension, trying to “fix” it may not be the best approach. Neither side may be broken, or need fixing. The IT group has core services they provide, the business has their priorities, and the two groups must work together. The question is: can they both be better?

The IT Business Partner
The HR community came up with a concept in the late 90s termed the HR Business Partner (HRBP). This was designed as a consultative role to the business to help them understand when and where HR considerations were important, provide resources where necessary, and build bridges between HR and the business. The HRBP provides strategic guidance so that the business can effectively and efficiently work with HR and maximize the employee experience and investment.

There is an opportunity for a similar role that represents the IT department. This is not a CIO or CTO, but an IT Business Partner (ITBP). They would build relationships with senior managers in both the business unit and the IT group. They would need to be included in strategic discussions and high-level planning for both departments. They should not carry a project load or necessarily be a project manager, but they should be able to understand how projects are progressing and what contributes to IT projects successes and failures. They should also be able to garner the respect of technical staff and business users alike. They should be able to analyze business needs and determine where technology can improve processes, where it is being used incorrectly, and where manual processes are sufficient. Finally, they should have some insight into effective personnel management.

This isn’t a new concept, though it is different than embedded business analysts, project managers, or a PMO. This model would be implemented with a goal of building bridges and transforming organizations and their use of IT. The Business Relationship Manager (BRM) role is probably the most similar role to this, but BRMs are more broadly focused and headed toward senior management roles. They likely need relationships with ITBPs.

If You’re Intrigued
If you’re in IT and this sounds interesting, I’d love to hear from you. Let me know if you’ve had experience in this role, where the needs are, and what you think of the concept. If you’re in business and this is something that would help, I’d love to hear from you about what would make this work from your perspective. Want an easy, practical next step? Reach out to someone in IT or a business group, depending on which side of the equation you are on. Pick someone you know well and discuss the idea with them over a drink. Explore how you might help one another… it just might change your career trajectory.