How can you develop IT Strategy skills and still have a life?

I recommend making a habit of dedicating 2 hours of your work week to do an executive online education or to listen to podcasts. It has to be within a dedicated space where you are away from the day to day allowing you to focus and take in the knowledge. And after each session, identify areas where you want to apply that new knowledge in your day to day work.

Learn from experts on many channels to increase your innovation, blend various IT methodology with metrics to measure success, aligning your IT roadmap with business roadmap and eliminate the disconnect between IT strategy and execution

In my experience ,learning from experts , do it until you excel. Find your balance and keep your inner peace. I have developed a sense of Gratitude and thankful for the achievements ,learning and growth. Have fun and enjoy the work. Recently for new year message ,I came across this -In the book of life, 2023 is already written and done ,dont regret anything ,2024 pages are new and develop an attitude of can do it ,will do it ,will ask for support /help from others and achieve the target.

Learn from experts through different channels (book, social media, documentary, on job, peers, friends, mentors), try to resonate, relate and put yourself into the situation and simulate. Eventually, real practice is the only way to get it real.

To enhance your IT Strategy skills while balancing life, learning from experts is invaluable. Dive into resources like books, blogs, podcasts, and newsletters covering IT governance, digital transformation, and more. Engage with thought leaders and mentors on social media, and participate in online communities and webinars. These platforms offer a wealth of knowledge and facilitate the exchange of ideas with other IT professionals. This approach keeps you abreast of the latest trends and best practices, fostering creative and critical thinking. Importantly, it allows for flexible learning that can be integrated into your daily routine, maintaining life balance.

Applying your newly acquired knowledge to real-world projects and tasks is a crucial step in developing IT Strategy skills. Implement frameworks, tools, and methods learned from experts in your own IT solutions, aligning them with business objectives and outcomes. Utilize case studies, simulations, or exercises to practice these skills in realistic or hypothetical scenarios. This hands-on application not only provides practical experience but also allows you to test assumptions and validate results. By integrating learning into your daily work, you enhance your skills effectively while maintaining a balanced life.

Boost your IT Strategy skills by putting your knowledge into practice. Use the frameworks, tools, or methods learned from experts in your projects or tasks. Apply these to analyze, plan, design, or implement IT solutions that align with your business goals. Utilize case studies, simulations, or exercises to practice your skills in real or hypothetical situations. This hands-on approach helps you gain practical experience, test assumptions, and validate results.

Translating knowledge into your daily professional life is key to mastering IT Strategy here. Take what you've learned from podcasts, books, experts and embed it into your projects. Utilise frameworks, tools, and methods to analyse, plan, and implement IT solutions aligned with your business goals. Hands-on has always helped me to fully understand topics that I wasn't 100% sure. Applying your learnings, you bridge the gap between theory and real-world application, ensuring that your strategy isn't just a concept but a robust, effective solution for your organisation.

Apply the learning from others can be rigid and odd at the beginning, because you simply put someone else’s reflection to your own situation without knowing what does it really mean for you or situation, only hope for the best. But it’s needed. Theory test will eventually create your own experience and learnings can be truly valuable and meaningful, and lead to the next level.

Es ist ein weitverbreiteter Aberglaube, dass umfangreiches Wissen automatisch zu praktischen F?higkeiten führt. Wissen allein reicht nicht aus; erst durch wiederholte Anwendung wird es zum K?nnen. In der IT-Branche ist es unerl?sslich, dass Fachkr?fte nicht nur wissen, was zu tun ist, sondern auch wie es umgesetzt wird – effizient und wirksam im Einklang mit den Unternehmenszielen. Erst wenn man das Wissen in realen Projekten verprobt, wird klar, ob man das Gelernte tats?chlich verstanden hat und in der Lage ist, zu transformieren. Die Herausforderungen und Unw?gbarkeiten echter Problemstellungen testen unsere Transformationsf?higkeit, unser K?nnen.

Good IT strategies reflect and support the goals of the enterprise. I recommend that early career IT Strategy professionals in my organizations participate in peer reviews of their work before sharing with stakeholders. Giving and receiving feedback is a terrific way to validate assumptions, refine recommendations and solidify strategic direction.

That's the rule number one when looking to improve your skills...! Believe or not skills stagnate—make seeking feedback and continuous improvement a habit. Reach out to peers, managers, clients, or stakeholders for constructive feedback on your projects. Embrace it as a tool to uncover opportunities to become a better professional. It not only sharpens your skills but also turns mistakes into learning, increasing both confidence and competence to tackle even bigger challenges.

Creo que el equilibrio es fundamental, ponte metas desafiantes pero que sean capaz de cumplirse, utiliza indicadores SMART para monitorear el avance, pon foco en la resolución de problemas de alto impacto para la organización y a la vez mantén un monitoreo constante en las personas de tu equipo, en comprender como se sienten en el viaje que están abordando, siempre empodéralos y apóyalos al momento de tomar decisiones aunque se equivoquen, en la capacidad de generar un equipo de confianza y de alto rendimiento está en mi opinión gran parte del éxito de encontrar equilibrio profesional y personal

Allocate hours for each commitment we have in a day. Develop the daily discipline. Keep adjusting as you seem fit along the way.

Finding a balance is essential in developing IT Strategy skills while maintaining a fulfilling life. Effective time, energy, and priority management are key. Utilize tools like calendars, planners, or timers to organize both work and personal activities, minimizing distractions and procrastination. Incorporate relaxation techniques such as meditation, regular exercise, or engaging in hobbies to rejuvenate energy and relax the mind. This balanced approach helps prevent burnout, reduce stress, and maintain overall health and well-being. Achieving this equilibrium ensures sustained motivation and productivity in both professional development and personal life.

Balancing work and personal life is crucial in IT Strategy. Effective time management, using tools like calendars or planners, can help schedule work and personal activities. Avoiding distractions and procrastination is key. Techniques like meditation, exercise, or engaging in hobbies can recharge energy and relax the mind. This balance helps prevent burnout, stress, and fatigue, promoting health, happiness, and motivation. Remember, a balanced life leads to a more productive and satisfying career.

One can ensure a healthy work-life balance by setting realistic goals and prioritizing tasks, allocate specific time for skill development in your schedule, whether it's dedicated learning hours each week or periodic deep dives into strategic concepts. Leverage online courses, webinars, and industry publications for flexible learning options. Incorporate strategic thinking into your daily work, applying concepts gradually. Take breaks and make it compulsory to engage in activities outside of work to rejuvenate your mind. Personally, Yoga, swimming, reading novels in cute little cafes works for me. Find what works for you and make it a routine you enjoy to have a balanced life.

IT strategy or any strategy for that matter can be related to other aspects of your daily decision making. The approach of problem solving, planning and risk mitigation can be common in deploying a large scale IT platform and planning a family vacation or picking a university for your kids. As long as you enjoy the journey, you can have fun at work and personal life while strategizing.

Carve out opportunities to indulge strategic curiosity – experiment fearlessly, ask “what if” questions that imagine exponential technologies transforming business processes, and connect enthusiastically with startups pioneering a niche concept. Pursue aspects of IT strategy that energize based on strengths/passions vs areas of lesser competence or enjoyment. Share laughs with teams when initiatives veer off course while pivoting positively.

Being skilled in IT strategy isn’t necessarily something you can cram, and therefore it isn’t really about how to build these skills and have a life still. First you need a solid understanding of multiple areas of technology - for example networking, support, application design, cloud computing. It can and should take years to grasp not only the technical aspects of the above, but how they impact the business. After gaining this experience, you then need an understanding of what your business goals are, and how the business “works” on some level. Once you understand these, then you are in a position to think strategically about how the technology you know and understand can benefit the business goals in the best way.

IT strategy must tightly interweave with business strategy and operations. Establish regular touchpoints between IT leaders and revenue-driving heads to ensure alignment. Recruit rotational programs, giving high performers blocks of time embedded in business units to promote collaboration. Automate infrastructure, help desk, and other lower value tasks aggressively to allow refocus of top talent on innovation vs “keeping lights on.” Develop a pipeline of rising digital strategy leaders and provide stretch opportunities. Annually refresh understanding of external technological shifts and realistic timeframes for integration.

Eine isolierte IT-Strategie, die nicht eng mit den übergeordneten Unternehmenszielen abgestimmt ist, l?uft Gefahr, irrelevant oder kontraproduktiv zu werden. IT-L?sungen müssen darauf ausgerichtet sein, die strategisch relevanten Gesch?ftsprozesse zu unterstützen, Effizienz zu steigern und Wettbewerbsvorteile zu schaffen. Fehlt diese Synchronisation, entstehen Silos, die Ressourcen ineffizient nutzen und die Reaktionsf?higkeit des Unternehmens auf Marktver?nderungen einschr?nken. Eine mit der Unternehmensstrategie abgeglichene IT-Strategie f?rdert Innovationen, erleichtert die Anpassung an neue Technologien und Trends, mit dem Ziel, dass die IT-Investitionen pos. Auswirkungen auf das Unternehmenswachstum und die Kundenzufriedenheit haben.

Build a network of professionals who share similar passion. There are plenty of good examples on LinkedIn. Make Linkedin as another source of learning. Engage in discussions, share insights, and collaborate on real-world challenges. This way, you're not just learning in isolation but tapping into a community where knowledge flows organically, improving your skills while keeping your professional life going to the right direction.

The implication of the title of this article "How to Develop IT Strategy Skills and still have a life" implies that Strategy is some arduous process which sucks huge resources out of people and teams. In my opinion nothing could be further from the truth. Successful strategies are to the point, they convey a simple message clearly. For example, if a company has a goal to achieve a valuation of ￡150m in 3 years, the strategy should explain how that's going to be achieved. It could say something like: In order to achieve a valuation of ￡150m we need to develop ￡15m in annual recurring revenue. In order to achieve this, we will generate ￡2m in year 1, a further ￡5m in year 2 (giving a total of ￡7m) and a further additional ￡8m in year 3.