Even though it may be difficult to write a collaborative and comprehensive cloud strategy followed by a cloud implementation plan, these are necessary steps in using the power and technology of the cloud to its full advantage, according to Gartner.

The analyst firm defines cloud strategy as a single, concise perspective on cloud computing's role in an organization. A great cloud strategy should be a consumable 10- to 20-page document or slide deck, and it should be driven by the broader business strategy.

Despite that apparent simplicity, IT and business leaders continue to make the same mistakes while designing their cloud strategy, according to Gartner. To that point, the firm identified the top cloud strategy mishaps it sees organizations encounter.

Data Center Strategy Is Not Cloud Strategy

Even though data centers are the physical locations that make up what's known as the cloud, Gartner warns against confusing a data center strategy with a cloud strategy. Organizations need to keep these separate while ensuring they're aligned together "because that affects the role that cloud computing will play in their organization," Gartner VP Analyst Marco Meinardi said.

IT and business leaders should make cloud strategy decisions on a workload-by-workload basis, and that shouldn't interfere or heavily influence data center decisions, he explained.

Executive Mandates Won't Cut It

Just because the CEO, CIO, or some other division head mandates the adoption of cloud computing based on the promise it'll save costs doesn't mean everything's ready to go. Instead, executive mandates should be seen as a show of good faith and sponsorship to begin designing a cloud strategy.

To that point, Gartner recommends a cloud strategy stays connected to the broader business to ensure teams know why workloads are moving and understand the broader goal.

'Cloud First' Includes More Than Cloud

A cloud-first approach typically means an enterprise's default spot to build or place a new asset is the public cloud. "But cloud-first doesn’t mean cloud only," Meinardi explained.

An organization with cloud-first principles should devise a cloud strategy that works out the exceptions to that default setting "that will make applications and elsewhere other than in the cloud," he said.

Single Vendors Aren't Strategies

Gartner warned against finding one cloud service provider, settling down, and calling it a cloud strategy. In today's increasingly hybrid- and multi-cloud world, it's likely enterprises will use various different cloud services and vendors as time goes on.

IT and business leaders should make sure the cloud strategy considers a diverse and broad group of cloud services, vendors, scenarios, and non-cloud environments.

Keep Cloud Strategy Development In House

Though the idea of outsourcing cloud strategy design may sound compelling, it "should not be done – it is far too important to outsource," according to the analyst firm.

Rather than totally outsourcing the work, Gartner suggests using third parties like a partner cloud provider to implement the strategy, and this tends to be a cost-effective manner of gathering cloud skills that might otherwise be missing.