IT Business Partnerships: A Field Guide: Paving the Way for Business and Technology Convergence

Joe is a CIO game-changer and by way of his terrific book he shows us why he is.The dated information technology (IT) management model habitually used by corporations around a reactive purpose-built technology focus is now being replaced by IT organizations that consider themselves business peers and partners and which confidently, collaboratively and accountably targets and leads beneficial business unit and enterprise-wide change.Joe explains the factors driving this business technology transformation, the creativity around quicker business uptake of emerging technologies, tools and techniques generated by it and the very different and improved business and strategic performance outcomes that result from this new IT-business partner role, but he doesn't stop there.Joe's book takes us through his proven way to positively influence this transformation process from the very terms to be henceforth used by all stakeholders and the business relationship management (BRM) skills needed to the ways to create positive focus, buy-in and momentum for IT-business integration and the joint achievements it will bring.As a CIO for 20 years, let me suggest that if you are a business leader who doesn't consider your IT management function a powerful and exciting resource and an equal partner to business success or an IT leader/professional who wonders why IT isn't properly considered the strategic engine of your enterprise, I highly recommend that you read Joe Topinka's book and seriously consider the ways he suggests for changing things for the better on your terms, while making the whole process seem long overdue.Al Kuebler

No fluff! No theory! A book only a culture building, business thinking CIO could have written. This book is properly called a "field guide" as it addresses real world challenges and highlights the incredible opportunities for positioning IT as a strategic asset. Joe Topinka has changed the conversation by moving beyond the "align IT with the business" mantra that has failed IT for decades. Instead, he shows you how to achieve true business and IT convergence, where IT anticipates, influences, and leads as a strategic member of the executive team.I particularly appreciated the chapters on "Selling IT Internally" and "Networking"...two achilles that are limiting the success of most IT professionals at every level. I love asking a roomful of IT leaders to raise their hand if they woke up that morning, jumped out of bed, and declared "I cannot wait to market IT's value today?" My non-statistical average is 1%. But when I follow up with "how many of you believe that communicating our value so that our business colleagues know how to fully leverage technology is critical to our success" and almost every hand goes up. That my friends highlights a contributing factor to IT always fighting trust and credibility issues in spite of our great work...and Joe has provided the cookbook for closing this gap. Kudos and thanks Joe!

This book is a great read for business executives who are interested in pushing the envelope and aligning technology closer to the core business strategy. Understanding the importance and role of an IT Business Partner within an organization has not only helped me to accelerate my career as a consultant; it has enabled me to understand a unique approach and perspective when forming my personal network of technology partners. Helping business executives understand the importance to building a business case with a bridge to their technology team, has enable several of my clients to accelerate their growth and competitive stance in the market. Mr. Topinka is a highly regarded CIO within the community I have worked the past several years, and i am grateful to him for sharing his vision for the future role of IT within the enterprise community of the future in IT Business Partnerships.

I just finished Joe's book and enjoyed it immensely. He describes how the role of "IT Business Partner" has matured in many organizations, various possible structures for the function, and what obstacles exist to implementing such a role in your organization.Of special interest to me was his treatment of 1) the relationship between IT Business Partner and the PMO, 2) how to effectively navigate company politics, and last but not least, 3) his unveiling of "IT Business Partner Tools".Joe makes a clear case for how to move beyond overused labels like IT<->Business "alignment" and how to get to a truly "converged" state where IT is proactively involved in company-wide strategic planning processes.I recommend this book highly if you have one foot in the tech world and one foot in "the business" world like I do.

Just decent quality, nice size. The design is cute. My wife, who I bought it for, seemed, perhaps, not amoosed.

Outstanding read, especially if you're lucky enough to find yourself in this role. There are lots of pragmatic advice and insights that I found extremely helpful. The book is well organized and the level of detail is perfect. I read it over a weekend so it's also a quick read but I find myself going back to the book often to re-read chapters as I encounter different challenges in my role.I have also found Mr. Topinka to be extremely gracious and helpful in addressing some follow up questions that I had related to concepts in the book. I'm can see why he was recently named 2015 Charlotte CIO of the year.

Excellent choice of examples to illustrate the different concepts outlined in this book. I liked the idea of the one-page reports and it is definitely something I would consider implementing in my company. I got a little disappointed with the quality of the publication, though. it had many missing pages in chapter 15 (at least in my kindle edition), so I couldn't follow completely all of the scenarios that were covered. Overall, I think it is great material for IT leaders who want to make a significant impact in their organizations.

Great book to help anyone capture the vision of true IT Business Partnering. Clearly defines responsibilities and actionable steps to take to be effective.It may be a few years old now, so some of the examples are dated but all the key principles taught are still very relevant for today.Too many companies are missing out on the significant impact effect IT Business Partners can make to the relationship between IT and Business Leaders.

Excellent book that focuses on how to overcome age-old mistrust and barriers between the business sections in organisations an IT.I liked the provided tools, financial models etc, shame that electronic versions were not provided given the price of the book; I know that you can download them from his website but at a cost. Nevertheless, really helpful for me in my job.

If you are in this field or looking to stand up this function in your organisation; this book is a must have.