Are you frequently frustrated by managers and other non-technical business leaders that just don’t seem to get it? Do they frequently glaze over when you try to explain a great new business opportunity or efficiency improvement that you just know will enhance the bottom line? In this session we explore some strategies and techniques for engaging decision makers in terms that they understand. Improving communications with decision makers and crystallizing their buy-in will enhance your value to the organization and give your career significant lift.

1. How SQL DBAs and Developers can
speak to business leaders
Ron Reeves
VP of Business Solutions
V-Soft Consulting
June 21, 2014
#286 | Louisville 2014

2. ABOUT ME

3. My perspective
 Developer
 Manager / Owner
 Customer
 Direct teams
 Outsourced teams

4. THE BUSINESS REALITIES

5. Confusing and competing goals
 Disrupted markets
 Global competition
 Higher customer
expectations
 Greater visibility

6. Disparate systems
 Mergers and
acquisitions
 Organic growth
over time
 Opportunistic
market plays
 Customer specific
demands

7. Wide access to all required parties
Internal staff
 Complete access
 Minimal disruption
 Empowered
Customers
 Self service
 24/7 access

8. Most “bang for the buck”
 Maximize users on
systems
 Minimize capital
outlay
 Minimize ongoing
expense
 Protect status quo

9. Others?
 Confusing and competing goals
 Disparate systems / opportunistic
 Wide access to all required parties
 Most “bang for the buck”
 Other Examples from your world ___?

10. TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

11. Ability to plan based on goals
 Scalability and DB
architecture planning
 Unified data
 Performance tuning
 Data Integrity

12. Data integrity
 Prevent data
corruption
 Primary and foreign
key constraints
 Reliable recovery plan
 Routine data
scrubbing

13. Security
 Tight access control
 Difficult passwords
 Strict expiration rules
 Robust roles
assignment
mechanism
 Login timeouts
 Redundant hardware
 Redundant cloud
zones
 Snapshot and
rollback plan
 Responsive
 Load balanced
Reliability

14. Others?
 Ability to plan based on goals
 Data integrity
 Security
 Reliability
 Other Examples from your world ___?

15. THERE IS A GAP!

16. The Gap
Business Realities Technical Perspective
 Confusing and
competing goals
 Disparate systems /
opportunistic
 Wide access to all
required parties
 Most “bang for the
buck”
 Ability to plan based on
goals
 Data integrity
 Security
 Reliability

17. BUT WAIT, HASN’T THIS
ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM?

18. Why it is different now
 Wider and deeper integration of IT into all
aspects of business
 More connected devices
 Increased complexity, volume and speed of data
acquisition
 Greater expectations for speed and availability

19. WHY DOES IT MATTER?

20. Opportunities
 Technical leaders with business insight
 Coordination and communication
 Identify new opportunities
 Skills in emerging opportunities
 Increased complexity requires more skilled
practitioners

21. HOW DO I THRIVE?

22. Required Strengths
According to the U. S. Department of Labor…
 Analytical skills
 Communication skills
 Detail oriented
 Logical thinking
 Problem-solving skills

23. Communication Skills – The Key
 Treat communication as another tool
 Ask a lot of questions about the business
 Connect business goals to your goals
 Speak the “language” of the business
 Share concerns

24. Communication as a tool
 Developers and DBA are adept at tools
 Communication is one more tool
 So are business principles
 Look for opportunities to extend your “tool-set”
thinking across the communication spectrum

25. Ask a lot of questions
 Business leaders are afraid you are not
considering the whole picture
 Lots of probing questions demonstrate
understanding
 Understanding breeds trust
 Trust means credibility and action

26. Connect goals
 Remember, we all have our own goals.
 Identify the goals of the business leaders you
engage with
 Find connections between their goals and yours
 Identify financial ramifications
 Create realistic plans around achieving goals
 Communicate plans and progress

27. Speak the language
 Understand the business and competitive
landscape you are in
 Research you leadership to determine their
background
 Look at your company from the perspective of
your customers
 Understand the organization’s goals and
timeframe

28. Share concerns and challenges
 You are under a lot of stress because you care!
Share this.
– 24/7 support
– Responsible for production data and operations
 Cost savings opportunities
 Threats
 New market opportunities
Always remember: keep it in “their”
language, and have the case to back it up

29. Q&A
About Me:
Ron Reeves – V.P. Business Solutions
V-Soft Consulting
2115 Stanley Gault Parkway
Louisville, KY 40223
Office: 502-253-3393
rreeves@vsoftconsulting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rnreeves