Technology professionals understand that the value of their work extends far beyond IT, but many executives and business leaders still struggle to perceive it in business terms. Clear education is needed across all levels of the organization to elevate both understanding and appreciation for technology management.
Several themes emerge:
- Non-technical executives: They need to understand the business value of technology investments, ranging from compliance to revenue enablement. For example, PSTN decommissioning signals a business-critical infrastructure shift that demands clear explanations of the “why” in organizational terms.
- Emerging technologies: Tools like ChatGPT and Copilot bring new compliance and risk considerations. Leaders need education in a business context, not technical jargon.
- Non-technical support roles: Procurement, finance, and administrative staff directly interact with technology management strategy, but often lack foundational industry knowledge. A basic understanding of telecom, networking, cloud, and 5G equips them to contribute effectively.
- Executives as sponsors: Professionals need training in how to secure executive buy-in, making the case for investments in terms of ROI, competitive advantage, and compliance value rather than just technical features.
The critical insight is this: when organizational leaders truly understand technology in business language, technology managers gain stronger support, better funding, and more influence in decision-making.
Recommended Actions
- Develop executive education materials that explain the impacts of technology in business-friendly terms.
- Host lunch-and-learn sessions for finance, procurement, and other non-technical staff to build a technology foundation.
- Train technology professionals on storytelling skills to present business cases persuasively.
- Incorporate real-world change drivers (like regulatory shifts and network decommissions) into executive strategy discussions to provide context for investments.
