How do you craft a persuasive IT strategy vision?

1 Understand your context

Before you write your IT strategy vision, you need to understand the context of your organization and your IT function. What are the current and future challenges and opportunities that you face? What are the expectations and needs of your customers, partners, and employees? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your IT capabilities and resources? How do you measure your IT performance and impact? By answering these questions, you can identify the gaps and priorities that your IT strategy vision should address.

2 Define your purpose

Your IT strategy vision should reflect your purpose as an IT function. Why do you exist? What value do you create for your organization and your stakeholders? How do you support the mission and vision of your organization? What are your core values and principles? Your purpose should be concise, meaningful, and aspirational. It should express your unique contribution and differentiation as an IT function.

3 Articulate your goals

Your IT strategy vision should also articulate your goals as an IT function. What are the specific and measurable outcomes that you want to achieve with technology in the short, medium, and long term? How do they align with your organization's strategic objectives and priorities? How do they benefit your stakeholders and improve their experience? Your goals should be realistic, relevant, and ambitious. They should demonstrate your commitment and accountability as an IT function.

4 Craft your message

Once you have defined your context, purpose, and goals, you can craft your IT strategy vision as a message that communicates your vision to your audience. Your message should be simple, clear, and memorable. It should capture the essence of your IT strategy vision in one or two sentences. It should use positive and engaging language that appeals to the emotions and values of your audience. It should also include a call to action that invites your audience to join you in realizing your IT strategy vision.

5 Validate your vision

Before you share your IT strategy vision with your stakeholders, you need to validate it. You need to test if your IT strategy vision is relevant, realistic, and resonant. You can do this by soliciting feedback from a diverse and representative group of stakeholders, such as your customers, partners, employees, and leaders. You can also use data and evidence to support your IT strategy vision and show its feasibility and impact. By validating your IT strategy vision, you can ensure that it is aligned with your organization's needs and expectations, and that it is persuasive and credible.

6 Communicate your vision

Finally, you need to communicate your IT strategy vision effectively to your stakeholders. You need to tailor your message and delivery to suit the preferences and perspectives of your audience. You need to use various channels and formats to reach and engage your audience, such as presentations, reports, videos, podcasts, newsletters, blogs, and social media. You need to also use stories, examples, and visuals to illustrate your IT strategy vision and make it more vivid and compelling. By communicating your IT strategy vision, you can influence and inspire your audience to support and participate in your IT strategy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?