Unblackbox the tech team to the CEO

The CEO is pivotal to the entire company’s success, feeling the pressure from the owners to ensure all departments are thriving.

Since many departments rely on the tech team to be unblocked, the CEO must understand what the tech team is doing.

Any disconnect or a feeling that the other departments are not getting served can lead to significant trouble.

Often, I see a divide between the CEO and the CTO.

But that’s not surprising; those two roles speak a different language.

To mitigate this, communicate in business terms what the tech team has achieved.

Highlight key accomplishments and provide numbers and stats. The better you can quantify the changes made, the more relatable they will become to anyone who thinks in business terms.

The plan:

Turn the tech team from a black box to a transparent one.

Here are the essentials of what to communicate on a 1 on 1:

• What’s planned: Give a rough idea of expected outcomes, not just ticket numbers. Explain who will be working on what and why these tasks were prioritized.
• Vision for the future: Try to capture the CEO’s vision for the next quarter or year—where is the business heading, and how can the tech team prepare and support this direction?
• Immediate priorities: Ask if anything urgent has arisen since your last meeting and needs to be addressed promptly.
• Building the relationship: Don’t forget to invest time strengthening your connection with the CEO.

As a bonus, the key points from this meeting can be summarized and shared with the stakeholders, ensuring they are also in the loop.

The more transparent your tech team is, the easier it will be for the stakeholders to understand the value it creates.

Keep it a black box, and people grow distrustful.

Note: This is an excerpt from a mentorship session.

Best regards,

Taj