To succeed as business leaders, CIOs need more than just the chops to chat with staff and colleagues. They need a big-picture communication strategy that strengthens their IT culture.
Leading a technical team, being the voice of technology in the C-suite, and communicating with your company’s business groups about their IT needs and hazards is a job that requires a deep understanding of technology. But more and more, it also requires the skills of an expert negotiator, speech writer, and public relations expert. In a single day, perhaps even in a single hour, you might go from explaining a technical decision to a financial executive to listening to an acronym-laden description of the hiccups in an AI deployment.
As business communication expands across channels and technology evolves into the beating heart of the business, the role of the technical leader has become one that requires strong communications skills. More than that, it requires a big-picture communication strategy that is clear and effective.
I asked CIOs and other leaders what they do. This is the advice they offered on developing an effective communication strategy for IT leadership.
Christina X. Wood 