How do you communicate IT governance policies in your organization?

1 Define your objectives

Before you communicate your IT governance policies, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and why. What are the benefits of following the policies for your organization and its customers? What are the risks of not following them? How do they support your IT strategy and vision? Having a clear and compelling purpose will help you craft your message and tailor it to your audience.

2 Know your audience

Different stakeholders may have different levels of interest, understanding, and involvement in IT governance policies. You need to know who they are, what they need to know, and how they prefer to receive information. For example, IT staff may need more technical details and guidance on how to implement the policies, while business users may need more practical examples and feedback mechanisms. Senior management may need more strategic and financial insights, while external partners may need more assurance and transparency. You can use various methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, or workshops, to gather feedback and insights from your audience.

3 Choose your channels

Once you know your objectives and your audience, you need to choose the most appropriate channels to communicate your IT governance policies. You may use a combination of formal and informal, written and verbal, and online and offline channels, depending on the nature and urgency of your message. For example, you may use formal channels, such as policy documents, newsletters, intranet, or webinars, to inform and educate your stakeholders about the policies and their rationale. You may use informal channels, such as meetings, emails, chats, or blogs, to engage and consult your stakeholders about the policies and their implementation. You may use written channels, such as reports, manuals, or posters, to document and reinforce your policies and their compliance. You may use verbal channels, such as presentations, podcasts, or videos, to explain and illustrate your policies and their benefits.

4 Use clear and consistent language

The language you use to communicate your IT governance policies should be clear, consistent, and appropriate for your audience. You should avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical terms that may confuse or alienate your stakeholders. You should use simple and concise sentences that convey your main points and actions. You should use positive and constructive tone that encourages and motivates your stakeholders to follow the policies. You should use consistent terminology and format across all channels and documents to ensure coherence and alignment.

5 Monitor and measure the impact

Communication is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process that requires monitoring and measurement. You need to track and evaluate the impact of your communication efforts on your IT governance policies and their outcomes. You can use various indicators, such as awareness, understanding, acceptance, adoption, compliance, satisfaction, or performance, to measure the effectiveness of your communication. You can use various tools, such as analytics, surveys, audits, or reviews, to collect and analyze the data. You can use the results to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your communication, and to make adjustments and improvements as needed.