How Feedback Fuels a Better IT Strategy

You know your IT strategy is critical to the success of your organization, but how do you know if it's working? The truth is, you can't really tell unless you get feedback. Constant feedback from your teams, executives, and customers is the fuel that powers a better IT strategy.

Without feedback, you're driving blind. You might think everything is running smoothly when in reality there are problems bubbling under the surface that could derail your plans if left unaddressed. Feedback highlights what's working, what's not, and where there are new opportunities to pursue. It shows you where to double down, where to pivot, and where you can simplify.

In the end, the best IT strategies aren't devised in a vacuum or set in stone. They evolve based on a steady stream of insights from the people they impact every single day. So if you want to supercharge your IT strategy, start listening. Ask questions, gather data, and get input at every opportunity. The feedback you uncover just might transform your IT strategy from good to great.

1. The Importance of Feedback for IT Strategy

Feedback is the fuel that powers a better IT strategy. Without input from your users and stakeholders, how do you know what's working and what needs improvement? Making feedback a priority will help ensure your tech initiatives align with business goals and user needs.

a. Gather feedback regularly

Don't just solicit feedback once a year. Set up channels for ongoing input, like online surveys, focus groups, and user testing. Make it easy for people to provide feedback in the way they prefer. The more you listen, the better you'll understand their key pain points and priorities.

b. Analyze and take action

Review the feedback and look for trends. What do people love? What's frustrating them? Identify opportunities to optimize your systems and processes. Even small changes can have a big impact on user experience.

Implement feedback in a transparent way. Let people know how their input is influencing your IT roadmap. When they see you taking their feedback seriously, they'll be more likely to provide thoughtful feedback again in the future.

c. Continuously improve

An effective IT strategy is never done. Keep optimizing based on new feedback and evolving needs. Make feedback a habit and encourage open communication across teams. When IT and stakeholders are aligned, you'll gain agility and the ability to pivot quickly as priorities shift.

Feedback is a gift. Use it to fuel constant improvement of your IT systems and services. Your users and business will thank you.

2. Gathering Feedback From Key Stakeholders

Gathering feedback from the people involved in and affected by your IT strategy is key to improvement.

a. Talk to Key Stakeholders

Speak with executives, managers, and end users across departments. Ask open-ended questions to understand their pain points, needs, and desired tech improvements. Really listen to gain valuable insight into how IT can better support key business functions.

b. Survey Staff

Send out anonymous surveys to capture unfiltered opinions from a wider range of employees. Keep surveys concise but include both multiple choice and open response questions. Ask staff about their level of satisfaction with current systems and tools as well as what’s lacking. Offer incentives for high response rates.

c. Monitor Support Tickets and User Forums

Analyze trends in the issues reported to your IT support team. Look for common complaints, requests, and suggestions. Also, review what employees are discussing on internal user forums or message boards. This can highlight needs and concerns that aren’t being formally reported.

d. Track Software Usage Statistics

See which tools and systems are most and least utilized. This indicates what’s working well and what may need replacement or improvement. Look for opportunities to consolidate or eliminate unused or redundant solutions.

Feedback comes in many forms, so cast a wide net. The insights you gain can shape an IT strategy that truly supports organizational goals and helps employees thrive in their work. With open ears and an open mind, you'll gain valuable guidance for building better tech solutions.

3. Analyzing Feedback Trends to Identify Priorities

Feedback is crucial for improving any strategy, and your IT strategy is no exception. Analyzing trends in the feedback you receive can spotlight priorities to focus on for maximum impact.

a. Look for Common Threads

As feedback comes in from various stakeholders, look for common themes. If several people mention security concerns, outdated software issues, or lack of communication, these may point to underlying problems you need to address. Pay attention to both positive and constructive feedback to get the full picture.

Speak with colleagues and managers to get their take on trends they’re noticing as well. The more input you gather, the clearer your priorities will become. Don’t discount any feedback; even one comment could highlight an area important to a key user group.

b. Track Feedback Over Time

Don’t just look at feedback in the moment—track it over months and years to identify patterns. You may spot cycles of increased frustration with certain systems or seasonal shifts in needs. Long-term tracking also allows you to evaluate the impact of changes you’ve made. Have concerns about security vulnerabilities or software upgrades declined over time? If not, you may need to revisit those issues.

c. Action Plan

Once you’ve spotted key trends and priorities in your feedback, develop a plan to systematically address them. Don’t try to fix everything at once or you’ll quickly become overwhelmed. Start with 2-3 high-impact issues, determine specific solutions, and establish timelines for implementation. Be transparent in communicating your plan to users so they know their feedback is being heard and acted upon.

Continuously gathering, analyzing, and acting on feedback is key to optimizing your IT strategy over the long run. Making it an ongoing priority will ensure you’re investing resources into the areas that really matter to your organization. Users will appreciate your responsiveness, and you’ll build an IT roadmap tailored to true needs and priorities.

4. Turning Feedback Into Concrete IT Strategic Goals

Turning the feedback you receive into concrete goals is key to improving your IT strategy. Listen for common themes and pain points from your internal customers, then develop strategic objectives to address them.

Plan for 

For example, if multiple departments report that software rollout and upgrades frequently disrupt their workflows due to inadequate testing, make “improve software testing procedures” an IT strategic goal. This could include:

• Conducting more extensive user acceptance testing

• Providing additional training for IT staff on new software before launch

• Lengthening the pilot program for major upgrades to identify issues

If lack of communication about IT roadmaps and timelines is a frequent complaint, focus on “enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement.” This may mean:

• Holding quarterly town halls to share the IT roadmap and gather input

• Sending regular newsletters or emails with updates on key initiatives

• Meeting with department heads to discuss their needs and concerns

The key is to take feedback and turn it into SMART goals:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-bound

Goals like “improve software testing procedures” and “enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement” meet these criteria. They are specific enough to take action on, progress can be measured, they address key issues, and can be accomplished within a target timeframe.

Using feedback to establish strategic IT goals will help ensure you’re working on the right things to support your organization’s priorities. And achieving those goals will build goodwill, showing that you listen and respond to customers’ needs. Continually gathering input and refining your strategy is the recipe for IT success.

5. Implementing a Feedback-Driven IT Strategy for Continual Improvement

A feedback-driven IT strategy means continually improving based on input from key stakeholders. Their insights can help refine your roadmap to better meet business needs.

a. Gather Feedback

Actively solicit feedback from:

• Business unit leaders on how IT can better support their goals and priorities.

• End users on their experiences with systems and tools.

-IT team members on obstacles, inefficiencies, and ways to strengthen operations.

You might conduct surveys, focus groups, one-on-one interviews or set up a channel for ongoing comments. The more feedback, the better.

b. Analyze and Prioritize

Review all feedback and look for common themes or significant opportunities. Assess possible solutions or changes against your IT strategy and resources. Prioritize based on potential business impact and feasibility.

Make Improvements

Choose a few high-priority items to implement first. This could mean:

• Adjusting your IT roadmap to develop or deploy new capabilities.

• Revising service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Improving team workflows or updating staff skills through training.

• Enhancing existing systems and tools based on user difficulties or dissatisfaction.

Start with small wins to build momentum, then tackle more complex issues. Measure the impact of changes to ensure they achieve the desired results.

c. Repeat the Process

Continuous improvement is key. Issue follow-up surveys and touchpoints to gather fresh feedback and make further optimizations. An ongoing feedback loop will help you gain valuable insights to strengthen your IT strategy over the long run. IT should not operate in a vacuum but work closely with business partners and customers to drive progress. Listening and responding to input is the only way to build a strategy that truly supports organizational goals.

Conclusion

You've learned that feedback is the fuel that powers a successful IT strategy. By listening to your colleagues and stakeholders, understanding their pain points, and incorporating their insights, you build technology solutions that actually meet business needs. Regular reviews of how new tools and processes are working - or not working - allow you to pivot and improve, ensuring you stay on the cutting edge. At the end of the day, the best IT strategy is one built on open communication and a willingness to accept that you don't have all the answers. Stay flexible, keep listening, and your IT department will be driving innovation and enabling company growth for years to come.

How to make stress your friend

Some truths from recent findings..from Kelly McGonigal

If you are not part of solution then YOU are the PROBLEM- all about managing problem behaviors

Psychologists working on teams and People in large organizations identified  patterns of behavior that create problems in team. They are grouped as

The heroic:
 I am surprised as well, because as a Manager, even I too wanted few members to be heroes  But problem is they may push themselves too far and create burn out in themselves. Some times they may be demanding others too much. The best way to manage them is give more tasks, ensure that they are behaviorally nice with others. Help them understand that team needs to be balanced and that they should listen to others carefully.


The meritocratic:
They are usually hardworking and are truthful. How ever they lag people skills and don't trust others. Many a times, in-spite of their truthfulness and integrity they will be left out and fall into depression.The best way to manage them is listening to them and helping them understand team dynamics and Powerplays.

The bulldozer:
Bulldozers are great at getting things done .
Bulldozers accomplish their goals at all costs. However, they can intimidate and alienate others in pursuit of goals;They distrust others, and, therefore, others don't trust them. Mentor them by Role plays, team thinking and emotional intelligence topics

The pessimist:
Often we see pessimist all around. Many of these people are very dangerous in the team as they silently pollute other people into low moods. Oftentimes this behavior is rooted to their inbuilt low esteem, failures and anxiety Its very important to deal pessimists separately by calling them out in separate meetings, giving them examples how a task be seen in optimism with examples.
Its very important to let them know that you understand their anxiety and that it is not doing any god by thinking in negative. Reaffirm your trust and support to them and ask them first to stop spreading wrong messages around. Give small doable tasks to them as see that they get succeeded in them and slowly overcoming their own negative mental thoughts.

The rebel:
In Indian context we see rebels very often in team, They defy rules, They defy authority, Very difficult to MANAGE. Still the nicest part with rebels is they could spot areas of improvement.
Managing rebels involve listening them actively, identify and acknowledge if there is a valid point mentioned by them, Bring them past of solution team to the problem.

Try to tap their energy to see that they are working towards problems they mentioned. If done well this will ensure that they are working in right ways. Also have moderator to help them understand their behavioral pattern and how their behavior is impacting the teams and organization.

The YES guys:
Though not so serious , these Yes guys are always there in all cultures, they typically say YES to every work uttered in team.They accept and can stretch themselves to do unmanageable chunks of work. Sometimes they fail doing all that they accept.

 Often they lag independent thinking and appreciation. Sit down with them explaining a situations where every thing cannot be done and what happens if they keep saying only YES. Also walk them through varied situations and importance of creating a PERSONALITY .

View here a shot video on tips.

For guys who want to one more version of it.

Executive interviewing

Asking the right question is at the heart of effective communications and information exchange. By using the right questions in a particular situation, you can improve a whole range of communications skills: for example, you can gather better information and learn more; you can build stronger relationships, manage people more effectively and help others to learn too.

So here are some common questioning techniques, and when (and when not) to use them:
1. Open ended questions- Helps to get lot of information ( others perspective).
2. Close ended questions- Helps to progress when others are not communicative.
3. Funnel questions- Helps to narrow down to thesis.
4. Probing questions- Ex 5 Whys methods etc.
5. Leading question- helps the answered to think in a direction.

** off course always ask some thing RELEVANT.

To help you guys .. pasting here some good videos on the same .......

Here is the video from TEDx

The ABC’s of Timing Your Careers

One of the top most topics that people is bracket of 3 years and above look for is timing their careers. While enough knowledge is available in how to make an entry into a Industry/ sector, there was almost little knowledge in the ways how you time you career for greater successes. I am sharing the best of the tips and tricks that were shared by few fellow managers and sr management based on their own experience, observation and based on their study.

For best timing of your careers you need to have grab on three core views.

1.    Your Current Specialization, Skills- It is almost impossible to time your career without you having a clear understanding of what you are good at? And how best you are in it. Please carry on SWOT analysis of your core skills and rate yourself so that you get a clear understanding of how you stand in your current roles. Develop a calendar goals to improve your skills. If possible have mentor to help you to strategize your skill development and improvement program. Typically you can choose your boss, or friend who is senior to you in your industry. Please choose people who are clean minded, willing to help and not the wicked.

2.     Trends In Your Industry- For you to train your guns, you need to follow what are the trends that are happening in your industry. Subscribe to industry journals, network with people to know various trends in your stream locally and internationally. Trends can be understood in two ways An accelerating trend, and Ordinary trend.  An accelerating trend is some thing that you cannot ignore, It basically provides you information on what’s happening fast. Align yourself to accelerating trend.

3.    Job moves Lateral/Vertical -  I have seen few people shifting jobs while a rise in local markets; they have miserably failed on long runs. The best way for you understand when you can move forward can be best understood when you know your current skills, positioning, tends in your industry and how your current company is doing Vs Industry . Don’t change jobs for petty reasons, understand what is in offer in totality and not just the monetary pays. No person will be willing to pay you a huge raise against industry norm with out there being a some kind of trick attached.

Calculate all your options carefully and select a long term strategy than falling for short term gains. I have rarely seen people in Sr Management who successfully grew without a strategy. If you are not clearly able to understand what is in new Offer for long term, stay back with your current employer after all, he is the one who is nourishing you and a reason for what you are now ! Its the best way forward till you get some clarity and re-strategize your career.

Good luck- Ravi Kollipara.

Top Seven Attributes Of Super Leaders

Leadership is mind set, world over  people follow leaders. Leaders are born out of people, while many a times the followers remain follower. But everyone at some point of time NEED to become a LEADER weather it is for your corporation or for state or even within the family. In this article I am going to discuss basic attributes that are truly exhibited by modern leaders.

1. Driven By Need- Leaders  are driven by people needs. He understands the needs and the importance of fulfilling it. They give all their best to ensure that the understood need is fulfilled for their people.  Unfortunately in few democracies, we have seen leaders falling for their own satisfaction at the expense of peoples.

2. Future Oriented- What lies ahead for a group or a future success of a group actually decides how good a leadership is. All truly successful leaders are futuristic; they look beyond current goals and work in strategy for future . This probably points why a BIG IT firm in India is looking in hay way with its old strategy .

3. Solution Focus- Traditionally all successful leaders are not focused on smaller issues, rather they understand the root cause of the problem and do not fall prey to smaller answers, but work toward greater solution/ Purpose. Gandhiji worked towards realization of Independence for India than on smaller petty issues with British. Its is the bigger solution that Gandhiji inspired people and achieved.

TWO lists that managers needs to follow

( from Harvard Business Review)

I was late for my meeting with the CEO of a technology company and I was emailing him from my iPhone as I walked onto the elevator in his company's office building. I stayed focused on the screen as I rode to the sixth floor. I was still typing with my thumbs when the elevator doors opened and I walked out without looking up. Then I heard a voice behind me, "Wrong floor." I looked back at the man who was holding the door open for me to get back in; it was the CEO, a big smile on his face. He had been in the elevator with me the whole time. "Busted," he said.

The world is moving fast and it's only getting faster. So much technology. So much information. So much to understand, to think about, to react to. A friend of mine recently took a new job as the head of learning and development at a mid-sized investment bank. When she came to work her first day on the job she turned on her computer, logged in with the password they had given her, and found 385 messages already waiting for her.

So we try to speed up to match the pace of the action around us. We stay up until 3 am trying to answer all our emails. We twitter, we facebook, and we link-in. We scan news websites wanting to make sure we stay up to date on the latest updates. And we salivate each time we hear the beep or vibration of a new text message.

But that's a mistake. The speed with which information hurtles towards us is unavoidable (and it's getting worse). But trying to catch it all is counterproductive. The faster the waves come, the more deliberately we need to navigate. Otherwise we'll get tossed around like so many particles of sand, scattered to oblivion. Never before has it been so important to be grounded and intentional and to know what's important.
Never before has it been so important to say "No." No, I'm not going to read that article. No, I'm not going to read that email. No, I'm not going to take that phone call. No, I'm not going to sit through that meeting.
It's hard to do because maybe, just maybe, that next piece of information will be the key to our success. But our success actually hinges on the opposite: on our willingness to risk missing some information. Because trying to focus on it all is a risk in itself. We'll exhaust ourselves. We'll get confused, nervous, and irritable. And we'll miss the CEO standing next to us in the elevator.

A study of car accidents by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute put cameras in cars to see what happens right before an accident. They found that in 80% of crashes the driver was distracted during the three seconds preceding the incident. In other words, they lost focus — dialed their cell phones, changed the station on the radio, took a bite of a sandwich, maybe checked a text — and didn't notice that something changed in the world around them. Then they crashed.

The world is changing fast and if we don't stay focused on the road ahead, resisting the distractions that, while tempting, are, well, distracting, then we increase the chances of a crash.
Now is a good time to pause, prioritize, and focus. Make two lists:

List 1: Your Focus List (the road ahead) What are you trying to achieve? What makes you happy? What's important to you? Design your time around those things. Because time is your one limited resource and no matter how hard you try you can't work 25/8.
List 2: Your Ignore List (the distractions)
To succeed in using your time wisely, you have to ask the equally important but often avoided complementary questions: what are you willing not to achieve? What doesn't make you happy? What's not important to you? What gets in the way?

Some people already have the first list. Very few have the second. But given how easily we get distracted and how many distractions we have these days, the second is more important than ever. The leaders who will continue to thrive in the future know the answers to these questions and each time there's a demand on their attention they ask whether it will further their focus or dilute it.
Which means you shouldn't create these lists once and then put them in a drawer. These two lists are your map for each day. Review them each morning, along with your calendar, and ask: what's the plan for today? Where will I spend my time? How will it further my focus? How might I get distracted? Then find the courage to follow through, make choices, and maybe disappoint a few people.
After the CEO busted me in the elevator, he told me about the meeting he had just come from. It was a gathering of all the finalists, of which he was one, for the title of Entrepreneur of the Year. This was an important meeting for him — as it was for everyone who aspired to the title (the judges were all in attendance) — and before he entered he had made two explicit decisions: 1. To focus on the meeting itself and 2. Not to check his BlackBerry.

What amazed him was that he was the only one not glued to a mobile device. Were all the other CEOs not interested in the title? Were their businesses so dependent on them that they couldn't be away for one hour? Is either of those a smart thing to communicate to the judges?

There was only one thing that was most important in that hour and there was only one CEO whose behavior reflected that importance, who knew where to focus and what to ignore. Whether or not he eventually wins the title, he's already winning the game.

( As reported by Peter Bregman)

Negotiating at work: Tips

Like any other skill, negotiation requires learning and practice. The better prepared you are with factual data before heading into a negotiation, the more effective you will be.

In an office, as in a war, negotiation is won much before the first battle is ever fought. But unlike in a war, successful negotiation has both parties walking away as winners. What is negotiation at work? It's the skill of reaching an agreement, be it with the boss and colleagues in office, or clients and vendors outside the organisation. In the first part of this sub-series on negotiation, we deal with the latter.

Like any other skill, negotiation requires learning and practice. The key issues often boil down to reaching an agreement that is mutually beneficial and seeking a working relationship that permits the benefits to flow. The following diagram gives 5 Qtrs of negotiation areas.

This process can be made profitable and enjoyable for all concerned if some basic steps are followed. The first step is the same as for any other process-preparation. The better prepared you are with factual data before heading into a negotiation, the more effective you will be.

Thereafter, the most important requirement is to honestly, logically and accurately identify the real needs and goals. Though the most obviously stated need is money, it can be a proxy for other physical or more refined needs (shelter, reputation, self-esteem). In the case of a vendor/client, people are often simply seeking understanding and attention rather than money.

Once you prioritise the needs of both parties, you can plan towards a mutually advantageous solution, wherein you can give away low-ranked needs in return for high-priority ones. Also, identify the stakeholders whose interests or needs are affected by the outcome of the agreement or negotiation. If you can -list out multiple stakeholders and their various interests, you are probably analysing well. Use the matching needs to come up with multiple solutions that may work.

Carry your analysis into the communication with the negotiating party. The communication process is the second critical step in arriving at an agreement. It is important to realise that the words used, emotions, as well as the non-verbal attitude, will have an impact on people, and, hence, on the outcome. Listen with an open mind, focus on receiving and communicating with maximum clarity, and maintain sufficient emotional distance in order to be successful. Simultaneously, you can continue to receive factual data, with both parties  following the give-and-take principle, and building trust gradually. It is important to have persistence and respect for the other person in order to be successful.

Finally, remember that you should care for the outcome, but not too much. You can negotiate well only if you have the ability to walk away from an unfavorable agreement. To build this strength, create a credible alternative to failure. So, a successful salesperson, for instance, can negotiate the best deals on his products if he has a potential back-up customer. You should also factor in the fallback options for the other side. If you do this, it will be clear that the final agreement will necessarily fall between the back-up options of the parties concerned. However, do not exercise your option to walk away; make your final offer and let the other person go first-if need be.

While negotiating with a client/vendor, enter the discussion with a win-win mindset. Understand that both the parties need to walk away with gains. So, if you are looking for a higher price, perhaps your client wants the peace of mind that comes with an extended warranty. If you think of it as a win-lose deal, you stand to lose both the deal and the working relationship. Irrespective of the outcome, do not take words, requests or denials personally.

A lost deal does not mean that you have failed. It simply implies that at that moment, the client could not afford to accept your offer. Do, however, take time to help the client understand what he stands to gain from your offer. Listen carefully to make sure you understand what he really wants.

Also remember never to lose your cool or emotions. Your friends may accept you as you are, but your clients could run scared. Try and be the first to make an offer. It will help anchor the client to your view and the final agreement is more likely to end closer to your proposal. Do not compromise on your ethical standards. Most clients/vendors would be happy to work where they perceive the other person to be fair. While the client has the right to ask and know before paying, both parties are entitled to take time to think through their reactions.

At the end of the day, every interaction with a client/vendor teaches us something new that adds to our negotiation experience. It is a skill that takes years to master. Know that negotiation with clients is often focused on money. Add to it the amorphous nature of relationships and negotiations can become very complex.

Reproduced from  www.businesstoday.in