Your organization is divided on the IT strategy. How do you navigate conflicting opinions to drive success?

It is crucial to establish a clear Organizational Strategy as a foundational step before starting the information-gathering process for needs from individual departments. While all requirements are valid, it is essential to ensure alignment with the Company's overall strategy. Subsequently, as a business partner, actively engage with the organization by conducting floor walks, immersing oneself in daily operations, and holding one-on-one meetings with process owners, department managers, and directors.

I think you need to start with making sure your organization’s mission and strategies to achieve it are in place first and the whole team buys into those. Then you can assess the IT needs of the organization towards executing on that mission and those strategies. That clarity and alignment at the organizational level should make the alignment on IT strategies much easier to work through using a process similar to the one proposed here.

I Always say we always are good at stating our problem but never the unmet need...the unmet need tends to solve more than 1 problem... The unmet need can only be quantified if there is a clear mission with defined objectives that are broken into timephased goals

Facilitate open discussions to understand each perspective, focusing on common goals. Use data and evidence to evaluate the pros and cons of different viewpoints. Prioritize objectives that align with the organization's overall mission. Seek compromises that incorporate the best ideas from all sides while maintaining a clear direction. Communicate the final strategy transparently, ensuring everyone understands how it supports the organization's success. Building consensus through collaboration will drive the strategy forward effectively.

Envolver ativamente as partes interessadas é a chave para navegar em opini?es conflitantes sobre a estratégia de TI. Crie espa?os para que todos possam compartilhar suas perspectivas e preocupa??es, garantindo que cada voz seja ouvida. Ao fazer isso, você n?o só coleta uma variedade de insights valiosos, mas também promove um senso de pertencimento e colabora??o. Essas discuss?es podem ser a fonte de solu??es inovadoras e ajudar a alinhar todos em dire??o a um objetivo comum. O foco aqui n?o é vencer um debate, mas sim construir um consenso que leve ao sucesso coletivo.

After assessing needs, bring stakeholders together by clearly presenting the findings and how they align with the organization’s goals. Highlight areas of agreement and address conflicting opinions with data-backed evidence. Encourage open dialogue to ensure everyone’s concerns are heard, and work towards a unified IT strategy that balances different perspectives. By involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, you can build consensus and drive successful implementation.

Les forums peuvent être intéressants. Mais plus encore, la création d'une instance de gouvernance IT et digital impliquant tous les métiers et des membres de la Direction générale permet non seulement de les impliquer mais de les faire participer à la décision. A Apprentis d'Auteuil, un tel comité de pilotage existe depuis 2015, et se réunit 4 à 5 fois par an, avec une dizaine de membres reconnus à la fois par leur légitimité, leur compétence et leur complémentarité. Résultat : en que CIO, je n'ai jamais essuyé de critique sur notre stratégie informatique et digitale. Car tout le monde sait que ce n'est pas moi qui la décide tout seul ou avec mes équipes. Elle est le résultat de décisions collectives.

Demonstrate strong leadership by actively listening to all perspectives, being transparent in your communication, and facilitating constructive dialogue. Build trust and rapport with stakeholders by demonstrating empathy, understanding their concerns, and actively seeking their input. Finally, use data, evidence, and compelling arguments to influence stakeholders and build consensus around the IT strategy.

To navigate conflicting opinions on IT strategy, actively engage stakeholders through open forums for expressing views. Foster a democratic approach to gather diverse perspectives, ensuring everyone feels valued. Focus on building consensus rather than winning arguments, as this can lead to innovative compromises that drive success.

La priorisation des objectifs doit faire partie des missions d'un comité de pilotage IT et digital associant les principales parties prenantes (cf. mon commentaire sur le point 2). En tant que CIO, je soumet les éventuelles difficultés à réaliser tout ce qui nous est demandé : manque de budget, manque de moyens humains, capacité de l'organisation à absorber tous les projets, manque de disponibilité des métiers, etc. Une fois ces difficultés exposées, je propose au comité de pilotage des arbitrages qui me paraissant pertinents. Et ensemble nous prenons les décisions : ce qu'on décide de ne pas faire, ou de reporter. Une décision collective qui est donc bien comprise par tous.

To navigate conflicting opinions on IT strategy, start by aligning everyone with the organization's core goals. Facilitate open discussions to gather diverse inputs, then prioritize initiatives by balancing immediate needs with long-term objectives. Make tough decisions, ensuring the chosen path aligns with overall business strategy, fostering compromise and collaboration.

Critical to prioritizing goals will be coming to a common understanding/agreement on not only what to 'start' but what to keep doing and stop. All too often acknowledging that resources are not unlimited as excitement builds toward accomplishing the 'new' is missed. As new goals are pursued capacity can be identified by finding efforts or goals that no longer serve the strategy and can be sunset.

- After gathering input, it’s crucial to prioritize goals by balancing immediate needs with long-term objectives. - Tough decisions are necessary to determine what’s feasible now and what can be deferred for later. - Prioritization is about finding a middle ground and choosing the most impactful path forward. - This process involves carefully weighing the benefits against the costs, always keeping the overall business strategy in mind. - It’s important to remember that small issues, if not addressed, can lead to bigger problems, so they should be considered in the prioritization process. - The goal is to ensure that the chosen priorities align with current needs and future growth while securing buy-in from all stakeholders.

To resolve IT strategy conflicts, create a clear roadmap outlining initiatives, timelines, and responsibilities. This detailed plan aligns stakeholders, keeps the team focused, and adapts to changing priorities. A well-crafted roadmap ensures all contributions are integrated into the overarching strategy for success.

The key call out in this section is that the roadmap should be a 'living' document and not be relegated to 'shelfware.' If your organization isn't routinely leveraging the roadmap as the cornerstone for your technology efforts and regularly reviewing and updating, then goals and prioritization noted earlier will quickly fall apart.

- A clear IT roadmap is crucial, outlining initiatives, technologies, timelines, and responsibilities. - A well-crafted roadmap keeps the team focused on smaller tasks while maintaining a 360-degree view of the organization’s overall needs. - It’s a tool for aligning efforts, showing how each contribution fits into the larger picture. - The roadmap should be flexible, adapting to changes in priorities or market conditions as they arise. - This document ensures all stakeholders are aligned, driving the team forward with clear direction and purpose. - Remember, the roadmap isn’t just a plan—it evolves as the organization grows.

Begin with quick wins to show value and build momentum. This approach allows adjustments, minimizes disruptions, and lets stakeholders witness progress. Incremental implementation fosters achievement and sustains support for the strategy.

- Implement the IT strategy incrementally, starting with quick wins to demonstrate value and build momentum. - This approach allows for adjustments and minimizes the risk of major disruptions. - It also reduces teething issues, eases change adoption, and ensures focus on solving problems as they arise. - By scaling the system step by step, you can better manage challenges and ensure the strategy benefits the organization. - Every step should be planned with the overall 360-degree view and the organization's needs in mind, ensuring alignment with long-term goals. - Incremental progress fosters a sense of achievement and encourages continued support for the IT strategy.

Identifying objectives and key results (OKRs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) are important to ensure you are delivering what you set out to accomplish. They can also be helpful in identifying shifts in the environment that may signal an adjustment to your IT strategy.