More often than not, "first impressions" make all the difference. Your opportunity to make this critical "first impression" on an IT Strategy project is with the "kick off" communication. Are you hitting it spot on? Or, are you busily creating a disaster for yourself and your organization?
There is something to be said about first impressions. Often, they make all the difference in the world. For example, would you read this article if the headline did not grab your attention?
I am a firm believer in first impressions. I know, almost instantaneously, when someone walks into the office or calls me if I do business with them. Don't get me wrong; I have been proven wrong often when I completely missed something on my first impression. However, wouldn't that exact thing - whether a job candidate or their resume or cover letter, business proposal or article or phone call - have had more value if it had a terrific first impression as well? More importantly, was the risk of not making it past the "first glance" worth the lack of effort in getting it right?
First impressions are essential in all aspects of the business world. Deals are often done and signed based on the parties' first impression of each other. People, who pay attention to this fact, win, and those who don't, well, wax eloquent on why not to judge a book by its cover.
So what does all this have to do with IT Strategy?
It turns out that IT Projects, including IT Strategy, are not immune to this phenomenon. They succeed or fail, often, on first impressions as well. My first impression, in this case, I am referring to the "kick-off" communication.
A "kick-off" communication is not a letter or email informing people about the great work you are about to undertake. It is the foundation on which that great monument you are about to build will stand or fall as it may. A "kick-off" communication is your opportunity to get off to a roaring start and never look back or get stuck at the gate in an excruciating ordeal that goes on for months but lives on for the rest of your tenure at the organization.
I am often left more perplexed than disappointed seeing a botched communications strategy at an IT Organization. CIOs treat communications as a necessary evil rather than an instrument of success. Where is the most glaring mistake made? Often, the initial communication on a major IT Project might as well be on color paper written with crayons. Coincidentally, this is also the place where this mistake costs the most!
Why do some of the most competent people in the world make this amateurish mistake?
Nothing I am about to say you do not already know. For sure, nothing in this article is rocket science. But having it said and organized is worth the read.
How to make a killer first impression in IT Strategy?
The purpose of the "kick-off" communication is to get key business leaders engaged in the process. It is not sufficient to get them information or support and cooperation. They must sign up for the adventure.
The desired outcome is to have the business leader take some action. Whether it is to pick up the phone and call you to provide guidance or reply to you by offering one of their lieutenants as a team member, the "kick-off" communication is not successful without action being taken. If it elicited a "nod" or "shaking of the head," it has probably failed - you don't know it yet!
With this focus in mind, a "kick-off" letter or email should be short and sweet - brief, if I may. I have yet to see why it should span more than a page.
It should address the following questions:
- Objective: Why are you writing this letter?
- Imperative: Why must this activity be performed? Why now?
- Responsibility: How will you assess success or failure? Who will get fired if it fails?
- Engagement: What do you want from me? When? How frequently?
- Road Ahead: When will I hear from you next? Why?
Each of these must be answered for the business leader to get engaged:
- Full engagement comes from ownership
- Ownership makes the difference between success and failure
- There is a simple rule of ownership: people own assets. If they do not see the value in something, then it is not an asset to them.
- If you want this "sale," "show me the money"!
Now that we have that out let us look at each question and see how best to answer them in the letter.