How technology leaders can better communicate with colleagues and stakeholders

Getty

One of the most challenging yet essential elements of any new leadership role is mastering the art of communication. This is especially challenging for new technology leaders, who must explain the capabilities, benefits, and costs of the technology tools and initiatives they are driving, and serve as the organization's expert in the ever-evolving world of business and industry technology.

And, as the saying goes, communication is a two-way street. To communicate effectively, technology leaders need to not only get their point across but also be well-versed in basic business concepts and language so that their colleagues can understand what they're sharing. Below, 18 members of the Forbes Technology Council share their tips for new technology leaders to improve their communication, both as providers and recipients of critical information.

1. Share stories that focus on the human element

Use the power of storytelling. Technology opens the door to endless possibilities, but the tools are only meaningful if they positively impact employee and customer experiences. As technology leaders, we must focus on the human element to communicate the value of new tools. It's not about the technology itself, it's about the employees and customers who use it. – Shane Behl, Enterprise Mobility

2. Learn the basics

It is important for any new technology leader to learn the basics of the bottom line – costs, benefits, and revenue. With this basic knowledge, you can communicate effectively with business stakeholders by showing their impact on both the bottom line and bottom line. If you can explain how a tool or strategy will increase profitability or result in lost revenue or productivity, you can present a clear point that everyone at the table can understand and get buy-in with relative ease. – Ruchir Brahmbhatt, Ecosmob Technologies Private Limited

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Am I eligible to join?

3. Focus on the value of technology in driving strategy

One of the fundamental business concepts essential to the success of new technology leaders and organizations is the ability to formulate and clearly express the business value of their technology agenda in simple, business-focused terms. They must also craft messaging that clearly shows how that value advances the strategic mission of their organization. – Sandeep Sakharkar, GXO Logistics Inc.

4. Make sure you can read and understand key financial statements

A key concept for new technology leaders is financial literacy – specifically, understanding key financial statements like the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. Armed with this knowledge, they can make informed decisions, justify technology investments with ROI, communicate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders, and align technology initiatives with business goals. – Tina Chakrabarty, Sanofi Pharmaceutical

5. Stay on top of your organization’s goals and strategies

Technology leaders will benefit from having a thorough understanding of both the short-term and long-term goals and strategies of their organization. This knowledge should be used to frame all discussions and presentations regarding technology investments and decisions. Taking this approach puts technology leaders in a better position to self-evaluate any ideas and gain support from the C-suite. – Henry Patishman, Regula

6. Share your priorities and how your efforts will help you achieve your goals

Make sure you can clearly communicate how your priorities and efforts align with and support the business strategy and customer outcomes. Your fellow business leaders won't understand why they need your technology and new processes unless you tell them how your proposal achieves at least one goal in their area. This creates the stakeholder alignment needed to secure funding for your project. – Tara Duke, taraduke.com

7. Understanding the Income Statement

New tech leaders need to quickly acquire financial literacy, especially understanding an income statement. With this knowledge, they can evaluate the financials of projects, make informed budgeting decisions, and communicate the value and impact of technology initiatives in financial terms. – Ivan Guzenko, SmartyAds Inc.

8. Think in terms of ROI

To effectively fulfill their role, technology leaders need to think in terms of ROI when formulating initiatives. It's important to align each initiative with the company's strategic goals. Be prepared to effectively communicate the value of future investments and resource allocations to other leadership team members and stakeholders to foster a shared vision and drive joint action toward achieving your goals. – Yuriy Gnatyuk, Kindgeek

9. Understand how your organization's efforts impact those you serve

In healthcare, a key concept for new technology leaders to understand is patient outcomes analytics. In this field, it is important to understand how initiatives impact patient outcomes, as well as to evaluate financial, clinical effectiveness, and patient satisfaction. Focusing on patient outcomes allows leaders to ensure initiatives are aligned with quality goals, regulations, and most importantly, enhances patient care. – Frank Chan, Medtronic

10. Keep it simple

New tech leaders need to develop a business context mindset and speak in terms of business context. They may understand things from a technical and implementation perspective, but they need to be able to explain them in a simple format. The TL;DR approach is a great way to explain things. Use what, why, who, when, how. Keep it simple. – Shyam Bhojwani, Workato Inc.

11. Accept the answer “Yes, if”

One of the most important concepts I've learned for success is embracing “yes” over “no.” Rather than reflexively saying “no” when presented with a new idea or an unwanted request, saying “yes” followed by a possible solution is a proven game-changer. Even if the solution is far-reaching, it assures everyone that you're approachable and creates a good impression within the organization. – Rob Tillman, Copy Chief

12. Prepare and be prepared to explain cost-benefit analyses

Whether presenting an initiative at the board level or to senior leaders and peers, all tech leaders should be able to clearly articulate a cost-benefit analysis, incorporating details appropriate to the challenge. What problem does the initiative solve? What is the relative business value and market fit? What are the risks of not implementing the initiative? What is your competitive advantage? How will you increase market share? What is the impact on team morale and turnover, and brand value? – Simana Paul, SumUp

13. Don’t get confused by technical jargon

A valuable lesson I learned early on as a technical leader is to communicate at a sixth-grade level. This isn't to dismiss the capabilities of others; rather, it's a reminder that I should focus on making technical topics understandable to everyone. Keep explanations and details simple. As technologists, we can get lost in technical jargon and distract from our fellow business leaders and stakeholders. – Anna Frazzetto, Airswift

14. Learn situational leadership skills

The art of situational leadership is a powerful skill set. Too often, technical leaders address the whole situation rather than examining the broken parts – the changes that need to be made. Through situational leadership, they learn about the environment, the people, and the board. Technical leaders may need to direct, coach, provide support, or delegate to their staff, and they must accept the same from senior management. – Dewayne Hart, SEMAIS

15. Use design thinking

There are many key strategies, but one of the most underrated is embracing design thinking. Mastering this user-centric, data-driven, iterative approach enables tech leaders to drive innovation, creatively solve complex problems, and build products the market wants. It also enables them to communicate effectively with the business, set realistic expectations, and develop actionable plans. – Altin Bogdanov, Walmart

16. Work on stakeholder alignment

Something that is very important for new technology leaders to understand is stakeholder alignment. Essentially, this means understanding and managing the expectations of the different groups that will be affected by a technology decision and ensuring that the project supports the strategic goals of the organization as a whole. Good alignment fosters teamwork and improves project outcomes. – Sarah Choudhary, Ice Innovations

17. Talk about the big picture

Technical leaders are subject matter experts and have a keen attention to detail. That makes them well suited to running technology and cybersecurity programs, but those same characteristics can make it difficult for them to communicate effectively with executives who want the big picture but not the details. By learning to communicate succinctly and strategically, technical leaders can bridge this gap. – Carlos Morales, Vercara

18. Get an outside perspective

Look at every problem or decision from the user's perspective. Your users can be actual customers or someone inside your company. Either way, understand their challenges, needs, and value. Then use that feedback to iterate and deliver the best solution or experience. – Chet Kapoor, DataStax

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos