This course will help you to understand how best to construct your case and that of the ICT department in written reports and presentations. It is not a training course in writing or presentation techniques.
As ICT professionals develop their standing in the department, it becomes clear that technical competence alone is not sufficient. The 21st century local authority needs senior ICT people to have a balanced set of competencies, including the ability to communicate ICT initiatives effectively with their senior business colleagues.
At the end of this intensive and challenging course, involving several practical exercises, you will be able to communicate more effectively by:
- Understanding better how you are currently putting business cases together in writing and presentations.
- Being able to construct easy-to-buy, compelling business cases in writing and presentations.
- Knowing who you are communicating with and their attitude to ICT.
Course content
The main topics include:
- How to structure written material using basic principles of the Minto© Pyramid Technique.
- How to present to senior business colleagues using the ‘IS is from Mars and the board is from Venus’ approach developed by Wentworth Research.
- How to assess the power relations and stakeholder attitude to ICT by applying Gartner EXP’s stakeholder analysis.
- How team member relationships - using principles of the FIRO-B™ analysis – affect communications.
Note: this course only introduces the Minto Pyramid Technique and the FIRO-B analysis.
Pre-Course Work
Delegates will be asked to bring along examples of a written business case and a senior management presentation (in PowerPoint).
Tutor
Charles Chang is an independent consultant who works with CIOs to improve the business leverage of their IT investment. He developed his ICT skills at IBM in the US and with ICL in the UK (local government and public utilities division). His consulting and research skills were developed at Butler Cox, Wentworth Research and Gartner, where he was a VP of EXP: Executive Programs. Charles is the author of numerous reports and has addressed business and ICT executives internationally. He is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants and a fellow of the BCS.