Last updated on Aug 29, 2024

Here's how you can navigate the common pitfalls when seeking feedback on your IT strategy.

Crafting a robust IT strategy is pivotal for the success of your organization. However, seeking feedback on this strategy can be fraught with challenges. To ensure that you navigate this process effectively, you must be aware of the common pitfalls and understand how to approach them. This article will guide you through key steps to solicit valuable feedback while avoiding common mistakes that could undermine your efforts. By adhering to these guidelines, you can refine your IT strategy, align it with your organizational goals, and ensure that it is resilient in the face of rapidly changing technology landscapes.

1 Identify Goals

Before seeking feedback on your IT strategy, clearly define your goals. What do you hope to achieve with your IT initiatives? By establishing clear objectives, you can tailor your feedback requests to garner insights that align with your strategic vision. This specificity not only streamlines the feedback process but also ensures that the input you receive is relevant and actionable. Remember, feedback that doesn’t serve your end goals can be a distraction rather than a benefit.

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Kalpit Singhal

Engineering and Technology Leader: An accomplished Senior Leader with over 21years of extensive experience in strategic planning, budgeting, and successful leadership of large offshore teams.
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The most important goal always is the goal of the end user/ business. Identify your business goals and then seek feedback aligned with these goals.

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2 Choose Experts

Selecting the right people to review your IT strategy is crucial. Look for individuals with expertise in IT and relevant industry experience. These experts should have a track record of strategic thinking and a deep understanding of technology trends. By involving knowledgeable professionals, you increase the likelihood of receiving insightful feedback that can significantly improve your strategy. Avoid the pitfall of relying solely on internal stakeholders, as external experts can offer fresh perspectives.

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Ediz Öztürk
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It's critical to balance the opinions of internal and external specialists when you ask for comments on your IT strategy. While internal stakeholders offer insightful opinions based on their expertise of the organization, outsider perspectives should also be considered. By providing a new viewpoint and a more comprehensive industry context, external specialists assist you stay clear of blind spots and groupthink. To effectively update your IT strategy and avoid typical errors, make sure your feedback loop includes a varied variety of perspectives with the appropriate mix of technical and strategic knowledge.

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3 Frame Questions

When requesting feedback, the way you frame your questions can make a significant difference. Pose open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses rather than simple yes or no answers. Ask how specific aspects of your IT strategy align with industry best practices or how they could be improved to better meet organizational objectives. Thoughtful questioning leads to richer feedback, providing you with more material to refine your strategy.

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Uduak Favour E

Customer Service Support | Virtual Assistant | Social Media Manager | I help Provide Exceptional Customer Service Support by improving Customer Experiences with 8 years of proven expertise | Zendesk Certified.
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One thing that has helped me with getting meaningful feedback from customers or individuals has been the ability to engage them in high-quality open-ended questions as against generic questions

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4 Manage Biases

Be mindful of biases that could color the feedback you receive. Confirmation bias, for instance, can lead you to favor information that confirms your preconceptions. To mitigate this, actively seek out diverse opinions and challenge assumptions within your IT strategy. Encourage constructive criticism and be open to viewpoints that differ from your own. This approach helps ensure that the feedback is balanced and genuinely useful.

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5 Process Feedback

Once you have gathered feedback, it’s essential to process it effectively. Organize the input by themes or categories related to your IT strategy goals. Evaluate each piece of feedback critically, determining its relevance and potential impact on your strategy. Not all feedback will be equally useful, so prioritize the insights that align with your strategic objectives and have the potential to drive meaningful improvements.

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Steven Wood

Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Operations Director of over 30 years experience in the Food Manufacturing Industry
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Make sure you speak to those who are gonna have to use the outcomes of your strategy day and day out it is hugely important that user compliance and use adaptability is built into your strategy if you want it to become real So engage with frontline colleagues who are going to have to do the job every single day get their feedback and input into what’s going on and involve them in the strategy build This will be transformational in terms of a plan, but also importantly, sustainability of the

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6 Iterate Strategically

Feedback is not a one-time event but part of an ongoing process of refinement. Use the insights gained to iterate on your IT strategy, making adjustments where necessary. However, strategic iteration means not reacting to every piece of feedback but rather integrating changes that support your overarching goals. This disciplined approach ensures that your IT strategy remains focused and effective while incorporating valuable external insights.

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Here's how you can navigate the common pitfalls when seeking feedback on your IT strategy.

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify Goals

2 Choose Experts

3 Frame Questions

4 Manage Biases

5 Process Feedback

6 Iterate Strategically

IT Strategy

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Here's how you can navigate the common pitfalls when seeking feedback on your IT strategy.

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Identify Goals

2 Choose Experts

3 Frame Questions

4 Manage Biases

5 Process Feedback

6 Iterate Strategically

IT Strategy

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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