IT Is Talking. The Business (Still) Isn’t Listening

Stakeholder Engagement Is a Capability, Not a Communication Exercise

I recently completed the six-month rollout of a new Stakeholder Engagement program for a Fortune 250 client. They knew from the start that this was a long-term commitment, and the hardest part would be changing the mindset of what “stakeholder engagement” means and requires – for both IT and for their business partners. I applaud them for undertaking this effort and while the effort continues, I want to recap their experience so far.

When value is delivered, but recognition and trust fail to follow

Most IT organizations are talking to the business more than ever, yet influence remains elusive. Stakeholder relationships are fragmented across IT, communication is inconsistent, and updates tend to emphasize technical activity rather than business outcomes. The result is a steady stream of information with little shared understanding of what matters most or why it matters now.

Three Actions that Change the Dynamic

The first critical shift between IT and business leaders occurs when stakeholder engagement is treated as a leadership discipline rather than a communications task. The first actions require:

• A centralized view of stakeholder relationships
• Structured and predictable touchpoints
• A consistent narrative grounded in outcomes, not activity

Everyone believes because they interact with business counterparts, they have “got this”.  For my client – in fact, all of my clients – these simple actions were eye-opening:

• A quick inventory of uncovered surprises: they have a total of 127 actual stakeholders at VP and Director level.  Some were covered by multiple IT liaisons (sometimes receiving conflicting messages), where other business leaders had no counterpart assigned.  
• Further, it was not clear how frequently or for what purpose these stakeholders were hearing from IT.
• Communications with business leaders often consisted of a single project status report of red-yellow-green checks – and was delivered by email.

So it was a radical change for IT to set an agenda, and ask for quarterly calendared time to review outcomes and priorities.

My colleagues were further amazed when stakeholders sat-up and took notice when discussions moved from retrospective and status reporting to continuous value tracking and priority alignment throughout the year.

Overcoming Language Barriers

I’ve seen so many business leaders struggle to clearly articulate the value IT is delivering—even when delivery is strong. Sadly, many IT leaders lack the confidence, narrative, or executive storytelling skills to translate complex work into clear business impact.

This is when a structured narrative helps.  We setup a consistent framework for each team to add their specific examples.  We provided peer rehearsals to ensure they had opportunities to practice.  For many, this was like learning a foreign language – it was uncomfortable and required a willingness to change.

What Success Looks and Feels Like

With discipline, the conversation changes.  IT presents a clear, enterprise-level narrative. Senior leaders gain confidence in priorities and progress. Accountability becomes shared, alignment improves, and proactive dialogue replaces surprise. IT stops explaining work and starts shaping decisions.

What to Watch Out For

My client continues to improve. In parallel to encouraging their early successes, I warn them of early signals that things are not going smoothly:

• Be alert if only the senior leaders are involved.  The entire organization should participate.
• Check and recheck that “engagement” is a dialogue, not one-way reporting.
• Metrics are the cornerstone of credibility – but they must have business context.
• A sustained cadence matters.   IT can look sporadic and half-hearted, or proactive and consistent.  One approach builds trust and confidence.

It’s immensely gratifying to see these leaders gain confidence.  They recently completed their annual MeasureIT® survey, and stakeholders openly recognized their efforts:  scores improved in key areas of Trust and Respect.   Buoyed by this, IT doubled-down on stakeholder engagement as a core skill for leadership development.  I’m proud of their commitment, and excited to take next steps with them on their journey to improving these pivotal relationships.