According to Gartner’s predictions, by 2023, half of all businesses will have enhanced coordination and communication between their IT and business departments. This is a vital aspect for an enterprise’s prosperity, given the ongoing trends of remote working and the need to digitise manual processes. Additionally, numerous companies are undergoing digital transformations concurrently.
It is heartening to observe the partnership and cooperation between businesses and technology companies to achieve common objectives, even though they may have varying priorities or lack mutual understanding. While communication may present some hurdles, it is vital to persist and strive towards achieving a favourable outcome.
It is crucial for teams to unify their goals and work towards reaching a mutual agreement. To assist in accomplishing this, below are six steps that can be taken.
Notify Key Personnel
Without an understanding of the opposing perspective’s legitimacy, departments and vital personnel may find it challenging to reach a consensus. It is crucial to ensure stakeholders comprehend technical objectives and reciprocate this understanding to gain support, guaranteeing that technology and business goals transpire in harmony.
Our organization’s issues must first be identified, and subsequently consider how technology may be utilised to address them. It is imperative to inform stakeholders of any discrepancies between IT and business solutions to effectively tackle any misalignment. To illustrate, by consolidating our objectives and leveraging technology, we can attain our goals more swiftly, productively, efficiently, and collaboratively.Acquire New Knowledge.
It is crucial for all parties involved in the company to understand the significance of meeting technological objectives. Leadership has a pivotal role in this process. Even if it is not immediately apparent, executives will have a substantial amount of work to undertake with technology.
Being cognisant of the fundamental role that technology plays in the triumph of your business is indispensable. Actively participating in the progress of your staff is important to guarantee they are working productively. Attending your organization’s IT and development meetings is an excellent way to demonstrate your team commitment and become familiarised with their work. Also, closely collaborating with your team can enhance comprehension of their needs and ensure their interests are well-represented. In the end, it is crucial to communicate distinctly the connection between business and technology.Empower Technology Experts with Positions of Authority.
Start-ups and small businesses may have limited teams. Nonetheless, IT professionals should be involved in crucial decision-making processes. Although a CIO, CTO, or CPO typically takes on the role, it is not a mandatory requirement. To ensure success, the management team must involve individuals who possess up-to-date knowledge about the latest technological developments.
This role requires an individual who is responsible for informing management and stakeholders of how technology can enhance business operations. They will contribute to the selection and implementation of strategies and will have a critical role in aligning business and technological objectives.Define Your Business Values and Structure
Whether it is a technology-based project or not, establishing an organizational culture is critical. Various factors, such as the personalities of your staff, business objectives, available resources, and more, should be considered.
Having a well-defined organizational structure and culture is vital when aligning business and IT goals. Without a clear purpose, neither key personnel nor stakeholders would comprehend how technology could assist with achieving business objectives or how each role can be altered.Assess How Technology Can Resolve Business Challenges
Undoubtedly, technology can offer solutions to numerous challenges encountered by your business. To ensure favourable technology adoption, it is essential that staff, management, and stakeholders comprehend the benefits of the various tools and platforms available. This is due to the fact that they frequently merge and integrate.
Collaborating with internal or external IT professionals can help to identify the most urgent issues your business is facing and discuss how modern technology can address them. Consider integrating technology into your overall strategy, contemplating how it can resolve more intricate problems.Encourage Participatory Listening
Cultivating and maintaining relationships is paramount in achieving success in business. Adhering to mutual understanding and establishing robust connections between the business and technology realms is necessary to comprehend how these two areas converge and support each other. As a leader, it is your responsibility to bridge the gap between these two perspectives, demonstrating how their respective objectives converge.
Identifying mutual ground relies heavily on the ability to actively listen, which encompasses not only hearing but also interpreting and comprehending what others communicate. It is important to encourage both business and IT teams to discuss their objectives and listen to each other. Guiding individuals in this direction, they are likely to discover how their own goals and aspirations can mutually benefit one another.
Aligning business and technology objectives is essential and should be actively promoted. Although it may be happening already, it is not always immediately apparent. Prioritising bridging the gap between these two areas and understanding how they may collaborate can make recognising mutual benefits easier.
When members of an organisation collaborate towards a shared goal, they are more likely to devise innovative solutions to problems while fostering stronger interpersonal connections.
