Potentially worrying news for IT directors: what you most fear to be true, probably is. The theory is restricted to the workplace, so you can ignore your lifetime dread of a nine-headed ogre stalking your home.

You should, however, take note of the nagging fear that people are probably – and regularly – judging you and your technical team’s abilities. Perception, according to technology experts, can often be reality.

Take business value, for example. Convincing the financial director to fund technology projects is perhaps the most important part of an IT director’s role.

Indeed, analyst Gartner suggests that spending initiatives are largely funded on the perception of the value expected by the business sponsor.

Technology leaders, therefore, need to recognise that while financial metrics are important, it is also vital they assume a convincing swagger around the office. Forrester Research refers to companies where the technology department only interacts with the executive team when something is wrong. Senior managers consequently establish a negative view of IT.

Establishing inter-departmental linking, then, should be a priority. And Clive Whincup, divisional chief information officer (CIO) at Lloyds TSB, recently told Computing that good communication channels and more openness will help improve perception of IT departments.

He says the onus is on technology directors to push success stories that would otherwise remain untold. But pushing spin can be a challenging process, particularly for IT leaders for whom perception is literally everything.

Forrester refers to publicly accountable public sector CIOs, working under the knowledge that a negative news story can damage the organisation’s reputation.

Government IT directors need to effectively balance citizens’ rights to know how the public purse is being spent, with the considerable risk of being misunderstood.

The difference between a strategic and a basic relationship is based on how clearly an organisation articulates value. In other words, making your most important customers feel loved is going to make you a lot more money.

Therefore, it appears that at four crucial levels – business value, departmental interaction, public accountability, and customer relationships – you and your team are being judged not just on your results, but also on how you act.

Impressive numbers are one thing, but a confident business strut will help you keep the nine-headed ogre at bay.