IT teams need to use business language, not technical language, when developing an IT strategy, to make sure it is understood by the rest of the organisation.

Laura Dawson, chief information officer at British Council and chair of Charity IT Leaders, told delegates at yesterday’s Charity Technology Conference, organised by Civil Society Media, that: “Quite often when you talk they (chief executives) don’t understand the language and that is because we don’t help them.”

She explained: “They will have key words and phrases and if we don’t use those then they won’t understand us.”

Delegates also heard from Dr Robina Chatham independent consultant, trainer, and visiting fellow at Cranfield School of Management, who told them that for IT people to become more involved at a senior level they needed to build business and personal as well as technical credibility with their colleagues.

She advised them to “become known as business person first and foremost” and to be seen to be interested in the whole organisation, and not just the technology side.