Teaching IT Leaders to Bridge the Communications Gap

The Information Technology (IT) department historically was an afterthought for many businesses. Employees turned to IT for tech support or to help improve processes within the organization, but rarely was it considered a key driver in the growth and functioning of a business.

That's not the case anymore.

Cloud computing and growing reliance on IT infrastructure have made the department a driving force behind most businesses, and that change has thrust IT leaders into a crucial role within their companies. IT leaders need to decipher and present technical concepts in a clear manner to business-minded audiences.

Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program published a new guide to help IT leaders who straddle the fence between their company's business and technical sides. In Bridging the Communications Gap - Three Tactics to Help Information Technology Leaders Talk about Technology with Business Decision Makers, the MSIT program identifies three tools to help IT leaders take ownership of this challenge and effectively communicate in terms relevant to a more strictly business-minded audience.  

The guide outlines three concepts IT leaders should focus on when communicating with organizational leaders: 

1. Illustrate technological possibilities and limitations
2. Demonstrate business relevance to the company
3. Leverage key presentation concepts and techniques

By focusing on these three tactics, IT executives as well as professionals of any field can present to senior audiences in a more compelling way.

"IT has become more and more important to the success of organizations in recent years, and that trend will only continue moving forward," said MSIT Director Randall Berry. "Business leaders are recognizing the importance of IT, but many do not have the technical background to know the ins and outs of how the IT team works. For that, they need someone to translate the technical concepts and illustrate how IT can move the business forward. This guide builds on what we teach in MSIT and provides a framework for facilitating that conversation."

The MSIT program has educated and developed strategically sophisticated IT professionals for more than 25 years. The program offers an innovative curriculum uniquely positioned at the intersection of business management and technology.

To learn more about MSIT, or if you have specific questions about the guide or the program overall, please contact the program at msit@northwestern.edu.