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When it comes to IT management are you a one-hit wonder, only as good as your last ERP, CRM or network implementation? Or do you consistently add business value and contribute to the positive financial performance of your company? Are you an innovator or a maintainer?

If you can answer these questions, you probably know your "Stock Price" in the organization. If you can't, the place to start is benchmarking. You need to ask yourself hard questions and gain feedback from those you trust.

Start with a few "Tip of the Iceberg" questions because the many facets of who, what, why, when and how will be lurking just below the surface. Think Titanic. If you know what exists both above and below the surface, you can steer away from activities that don't add value and avoid sinking the ship!

1. Are you a trusted adviser to the CEO? Does the CEO's inner circle seek you out to help solve business problems and interact with key clients?

2. Does your organization drive real innovation and business change?

3. Does your CIO (or you) report directly to the CEO or to another C-Level that reports to the chief executive? The reporting chain relationship is a leading indicator of the value the board and the CEO has placed on your organization.

4. Does the senior IT leader drive the company's risk mitigation strategy and is he an integral part of the organization's succession plan?

5. Does the senior leadership of your IT organization cross-pollinate and take short growth assignments with other business operating units -- sales, marketing and finance -- to bring knowledge capital and business experience back into your technology organization? If you and your team don't understand the business at the core, you can't use technology as a tool to solve problems, right?

6. How is infrastructure funded within your organization? Does funding and allocation occur at the enterprise level or by project?

7. Are you treated as a separate business unit with your own P&L or do you really only manage cost-recovery activities and charge backs to other business units.