How do you communicate IT performance and achievements to senior management and other audiences?

1 Know your audience

The first step to communicate your IT performance and achievements is to know your audience and tailor your message accordingly. Different audiences have different needs, expectations, and preferences for information and communication. For example, senior management may be more interested in the strategic alignment, business value, and return on investment of your IT initiatives, while customers may care more about the quality, reliability, and user experience of your IT products and services. Therefore, you should identify your audience's pain points, goals, and priorities, and use the language and metrics that resonate with them.

2 Define your objectives

The second step to communicate your IT performance and achievements is to define your objectives and the purpose of your communication. What do you want to achieve by sharing your IT results and impact? Do you want to inform, persuade, educate, or inspire your audience? Do you want to demonstrate your IT capabilities, showcase your IT innovations, or solicit feedback and support for your IT projects? By clarifying your objectives, you can focus your communication on the key messages and outcomes that matter to your audience and to your IT goals.

3 Choose your format

The third step to communicate your IT performance and achievements is to choose the appropriate format and medium for your communication. Depending on your audience, objectives, and content, you may use different formats and channels to convey your IT results and impact. For example, you may use a dashboard, a report, a presentation, a newsletter, a blog post, a video, or a podcast to communicate your IT performance and achievements. You should consider the advantages and disadvantages of each format and medium, and select the one that best suits your communication purpose and style.

4 Use data and stories

The fourth step to communicate your IT performance and achievements is to use data and stories to support your communication. Data and stories are powerful tools to illustrate your IT results and impact, and to engage your audience emotionally and rationally. Data can provide evidence, facts, and figures to quantify and measure your IT performance and achievements, and to show how you meet or exceed your IT targets and benchmarks. Stories can provide context, meaning, and relevance to your IT performance and achievements, and to show how you solve problems, create value, and make a difference for your organization and customers. You should use both data and stories to communicate your IT performance and achievements, and to balance logic and emotion.

6 Seek feedback and improvement

The sixth step to communicate your IT performance and achievements is to seek feedback and improvement for your communication. You should not assume that your communication is effective or successful without verifying it with your audience. You should ask for feedback from your audience, such as their opinions, questions, suggestions, or concerns, and use it to evaluate and improve your communication. You should also monitor and measure the results and impact of your communication, such as the response rate, the satisfaction level, the action taken, or the value created, and use it to refine and optimize your communication strategy and tactics.

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?