Let’s set the scene: You work in the IT section of a business, and you do your job well. The C-suite is happy because the bottom line looks good, but behind the scenes, you’re frustrated. Your data engineering and analytics approaches are old and slow. You know exactly what new methodology you need, but convincing management is a tough sell – the “information gap” between the technical group and the rest of management makes it feel impossible to get resources spent on your department.
Does this scenario sound familiar? It happens in companies every day – and may be keeping you from making decisions you know would benefit the organization at large. Don’t lose hope! Next time you’re preparing to make a big ask, try these communication tips for bridging the gap between you and management.
- Delivery Matters: Before you go charging in, shift your presentation to center on a business perspective. Rather than focusing on the technical information, consider leading with the actualized value in improved analytic delivery – put more plainly, the ROI. Your C-suite may have the attitude, “don’t fix what isn’t broken” – so don’t lead them right to that! Highlighting where improved data delivery methodology WILL result in increased profit and speed is a great way to get buy-in from upper management.
- Embrace Collaboration: Does your company strive to follow the Agile Framework? Great! They already know that Collaboration is one of the 3 Cs of Agile Practice[1]. Remember that you’re both working towards the same end goal – to make the business as profitable, efficient, and well, as agile as possible. To do that, you need the right methodology. Explain clearly what your goals are and ask them to help you understand theirs.
- Communicate Clearly: If you need to explain something technical, provide context to industry buzzwords – your colleagues may know just what you mean, but your CEO may not – and be sure to back up exactly how this solution meets the need.
- Give a Use Case: Consider mentioning a project/problem that came up recently for the business, then show how it could have been handled more efficiently had you been using the methodology or concept that you’re trying to sell them on.
- Offer a Timeline: Give a firm date (that you know you can meet) for when the business can expect to see the first deliverable using the new approach. Knowing they’ll see ROI soon is a boost to your case for having the funds approved.
And there you have it! Remember, both technical and business departments exist to propel the company forward, and your department is worth an investment. Keep advocating for your team and let us know next time you try some of our strategies!
Sharp H., Robinson H. (2010) Three ‘C’s of Agile Practice: Collaboration, Co-ordination and Communication. In: Dingsøyr T., Dybå T., Moe N. (eds) Agile Software Development. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12575-1_4