Some strategies to help: *Communication Strategies:* 1. Clear language: Avoid technical jargon when explaining complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders. 2. Regular updates: Schedule frequent meetings and progress reports to keep stakeholders informed. *Stakeholder Engagement:* 2. Build relationships: Foster trust and collaboration between IT teams and stakeholders. 3. Joint goal-setting: Align project objectives with business goals. *Change Management:* 1. Cultural alignment: Ensure project aligns with organizational culture. 3. Communication plans: Develop strategies for managing resistance to change 4. Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate project milestones.

Aligning IT teams with non-technical stakeholders can be challenging, but fostering effective communication and setting clear expectations can make a significant difference: 1. Translate Technical Goals into Business Outcomes 2. Establish a Clear Project Vision 3. Use Visual Communication Tools like Flowcharts, roadmaps, or visual dashboards can make complex technical concepts more accessible to non-technical stakeholders. 4. Define KPIs that Matter to Both Sides

Aligning IT teams with non-technical stakeholders is essential for project success in any modern organization. By addressing language barriers, setting shared goals, implementing effective governance, fostering empathy, and leveraging technology, organizations can create a more cohesive and collaborative environment. Through these strategies, IT projects can transition from isolated technical initiatives to integrated, mission-critical efforts that drive the organization’s broader success. With intentional action and structured approaches, the divide between IT and business can be bridged, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity, increased innovation, and sustainable growth.

Given the size and diversity of our group, it was critical in our business to develop the IT business relationship function. It's a business partner approach wherein an IT professional is embedded into the business unit to serve as the intermediary between business and IT. The BRM understands business strategy and proactively engages business to initiate the relevant IT projects. At implementation, the BRM has already primed IT to focus attention on business pain points and value add. The relationship between the 2 departments is enhanced because stakeholder profiles are well understood. Implementation and collaboration approaches are tailored to the stakeholder personalities thus promoting greater alignment & higher project success rates.

A great way to set and manage expectations is to define some key performance indicators and critical success factors. Once these are defined, develop a dashboard where they can be displayed and monitored. It then gives everyone a common way to see and discuss project success. Be sure your KPIs or critical success factors are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound!

Establish Common Goals: Start with setting objectives that resonate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Bridging the gap between the IT teams and non-technical stakeholders early and often can minimize days of meetings and misunderstandings.

Two way communication is key, ensuring that IT and non-IT stakeholders understand not only the shared goals, that they work collaboratively to solve common problems. Having a non-IT stakeholder engaged in the design stage can avoid unnecessary delays as otherwise solutions may not fit the need appropriately. Redesigning at testing stage is where many projects go over schedule, increasing costs and frustration on both sides.