Leadership & Learning from Craig

Hey Everyone,

Happy December and I hope all of you are ready to run into 2024 with a plan.  A big thing that I have run into over the years is the lack of team alignment on priorities.  This is a big deal because it can cause conflict amongst teams as well as hinder the team/company from accomplishing what it needs.

Aligning IT with business goals is all about ensuring your tech strategies are lockstep with your company's objectives. This means IT needs to be present at the Executive Teams as well as in the strategy meetings.  IT has absolutely shifted from a Cost Center to a Strategic Asset that is across the entire company.

Here's a game plan to make that happen:

1. Understand Business Objectives: It's key to have a crystal-clear understanding of your company's goals. Are you gunning for growth, efficiency, customer satisfaction, or something else? Knowing this sets the stage for everything else.
2. Communication is King: Regular chats between IT and other business units are crucial. These shouldn't be just formal meetings, but ongoing dialogues to stay on the same page.
3. IT Roadmap that Mirrors Business Strategy: Your IT strategy should be a mirror image of your business strategy. If the business is aiming for rapid growth, your IT needs to scale. If it's about customer experience, your tech should be customer-centric.
4. Flexible and Agile IT: The business world changes at breakneck speed. Your IT needs to be agile enough to adapt. Think cloud solutions, modular systems – tech that can pivot as fast as your business does.
5. KPIs That Speak Both Languages: Develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that make sense to both IT and other business units. These KPIs should tie directly back to business objectives.
6. Invest in the Right Tech: Not all tech is created equal. Invest in technology that specifically supports your business goals. For example, if data-driven decision-making is your aim, BI tools are your best friend.
7. Risk Management and Cybersecurity: Aligning IT with business also means aligning on risk. Make sure you're on the same page about cybersecurity risks and have a solid plan in place.
8. Change Management: Tech changes can be disruptive. A smooth transition plan that includes training and support can make all the difference.
9. Regular Reviews and Adjustments: This isn't a set-and-forget kind of deal. Regularly review how well IT aligns with business goals and adjust as needed.
10. Leadership Buy-in: Last but not least, none of this works without the thumbs-up from the top. Leadership buy-in is crucial for aligning IT with business goals.

Remember, it's all about creating a symbiotic relationship between your tech and business strategies. When they move together, you're on the path to success.

Action Items 

• Watch AI Updates from Satya Nadella on LinkedIn Post Here
• If you haven’t started your journey to the Cloud (Microsoft Teams, Files to Teams, Chat, etc), start to prioritize this as you will want to take advantage of the new tools in the Office 365 stack
• Use ChatGPT or CoPilot for ONE THING you are working on EVERY DAY
  • It’s a FREE PERSONAL ASSISTANT
  • Apps are available for your mobile to use speech to text functionality
• Start using Bing or Edge with CoPilot – it has ChatGPT 4 built in
  • Use the Bing or ChatGPT Apps for Recipes, Travel Itinerary’s, email creation, or anything you are       thinking you want to know.

Tech Tip: Microsoft Planner and To Do is part of your O365 subscription.

• Use Planner to keep your teams aligned on priorities.
• Use To Do to keep personal and family lists organized and prioritized.
• Note: Most communication issues come from not being aligned.  

Wishing you a Great 2024!!!