How to effectively communicate a business IT strategy at board level

1. www.linuxit.com
HOWTOSELLYOURITSTRATEGY?
DON’TBORETHEBOARD!

2. www.linuxit.com
COMMUNICATIONBREAKDOWN

3. www.linuxit.com
Alltoooften,whenanITprotriestoexplainthe
needforchangeandinvestment–eventoa
prowhohasmadeittodirectorandhasaseat
ontheboard–communicationissuesarise.
COMMUNICATIONBREAKDOWN

4. www.linuxit.com
Alltoooften,whenanITprotriestoexplainthe
needforchangeandinvestment–eventoa
prowhohasmadeittodirectorandhasaseat
ontheboard–communicationissuesarise.
Ifyournormalmodeofspeechis‘HighGeek’,
trytranslatingoneofyourmosttechnical
whitepapersintoeverydayEnglish.
COMMUNICATIONBREAKDOWN

5. www.linuxit.com
IFYOUFINDYOURSELFTALKING
TOTHEBOARDLIKETHIS...
API
RAIDCLOUD
CLUSTER
ENCODING
LIBRARY
PUPPET

6. www.linuxit.com
...YOU’REHIGHLYUNLIKELYTOGETTHIS
BUDGET BUY-IN
APPROVALAUTHORISATION
ENDORSEMENT
FUNDING
CAPITAL
SUPPORT
GREENLIGHT
CONSENSUS
ADVOCACYINVESTMENT

7. www.linuxit.com
Turnyourtechspeakintobusinessspeak.Longpresentations
onsubjectsoutsideyouraudience’scorecompetencearea
wasteofeveryone’stime.
STEPOUTOFYOUR
TECHNOLOGICALMINDSET

8. www.linuxit.com
Turnyourtechspeakintobusinessspeak.Longpresentations
onsubjectsoutsideyouraudience’scorecompetencearea
wasteofeveryone’stime.
STEPOUTOFYOUR
TECHNOLOGICALMINDSET
Don’tgoonandonwithtoomuchdetailabouthowthetechnologyworks.Focusonthebusiness
caseforyourstrategy.Honeitdowntothreesimpleconcepts…

9. www.linuxit.com
1.FOCUSONTHE
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY

10. www.linuxit.com
1.FOCUSONTHE
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
• Whatistheissueyou’veidentified?

11. www.linuxit.com
1.FOCUSONTHE
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
• Whatistheissueyou’veidentified?
• Howdoesitmanifestitself?

12. www.linuxit.com
1.FOCUSONTHE
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
• Whatistheissueyou’veidentified?
• Howdoesitmanifestitself?
• Whyisitimportant?

13. www.linuxit.com
1.FOCUSONTHE
PROBLEM/OPPORTUNITY
• Whatistheissueyou’veidentified?
• Howdoesitmanifestitself?
• Whyisitimportant?
• Whatwillhappenifwedonothingaboutit?

14. www.linuxit.com
2.DELIVERTHESTRATEGY

15. www.linuxit.com
2.DELIVERTHESTRATEGY
• Briefsummaryofwhatsuccesslookslike

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2.DELIVERTHESTRATEGY
• Briefsummaryofwhatsuccesslookslike
• Ahighlevelandsimpledescriptionofwhat
technical,proceduralandorganisational
changesarenecessarytoachieve
thestrategicgoals

17. www.linuxit.com
2.DELIVERTHESTRATEGY
• Briefsummaryofwhatsuccesslookslike
• Ahighlevelandsimpledescriptionofwhat
technical,proceduralandorganisational
changesarenecessarytoachieve
thestrategicgoals
• Reasons(ineverydayEnglish)foryourroadmap

18. www.linuxit.com
3.FINISHWITHCOSTSANDBENEFITS

19. www.linuxit.com
3.FINISHWITHCOSTSANDBENEFITS
• Accuratelyarticulatethecostofyourstrategytiedtoastrongbusinesscase

20. www.linuxit.com
3.FINISHWITHCOSTSANDBENEFITS
• Accuratelyarticulatethecostofyourstrategytiedtoastrongbusinesscase
• Howwillthestrategyenablethebusinessasa
wholetogeneratemoreincome?

21. www.linuxit.com
3.FINISHWITHCOSTSANDBENEFITS
• Accuratelyarticulatethecostofyourstrategytiedtoastrongbusinesscase
• Howwillthestrategyenablethebusinessasa
wholetogeneratemoreincome?
• Howlongbeforetheorganisation
seesROI?

22. www.linuxit.com
BEBRIEF,BUTBEPREPARED
Iftheboardlikesthebare-bones
ofyourproposal,they’llcomeback
formoredetail.Makesureyouhave
allthefigures,quotes,projections
tohandsoyouaren’ttrippedupby
anyquestionsthatarise.

23. www.linuxit.com
NEXTSTEPS…

24. www.linuxit.com
Thedifferencebetweenstrategyandsuccessfulimplementationisthe
detail.Inimplementingamajorchangetoanorganisation’sITstrategy,
therewillbealotofdetailtoconsider.
NEXTSTEPS…

25. www.linuxit.com
Thedifferencebetweenstrategyandsuccessfulimplementationisthe
detail.Inimplementingamajorchangetoanorganisation’sITstrategy,
therewillbealotofdetailtoconsider.
Thetrickisknowingwhentousethisdetailandhowtoexplainit.Afterall,
alotofpeoplehavetheirownagendas,interests,andcareerstoconsider.
NEXTSTEPS…

26. www.linuxit.com
TAKEAWAYS
• Before you present your next big IT initiative to the board, put yourself in their shoes.
What do they need to hear?
• Review how you can make tech talk accessible and appealing to non-technical colleagues.
• Keep your presentations short and sweet.
• Focus on the business case for your IT strategy.

27. www.linuxit.com
FORADVICEONHOWTOPUTTHENEEDSOFTHE
BUSINESSATTHECENTREOFYOURITSTRATEGY
DownloadyourfreeeGuide:
TheFutureDirectionofIT–IntegratingyourITstrategywith
yourbusinessstrategy