Routines are a funny thing. Day after day we fall into the same rhythms. We embrace them like Linus’ blanket. Soon routine turns into something institutionalized.
For our own good, we sometimes need to do things differently to get to a better outcome. The modern philosopher and spiritualist Jiddu Krishnamurti states, “Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.” Don’t let decay settle in.
PWC’s 2015 survey of Global CEOs reported:
59% of UK CEOs are concerned by the speed of technological change, up from 55% last year, and one in three (33%) believe that a potential competitor to their business is emerging or could emerge from the technology industry
Time to do something different! (Or at least validate what your doing is still the right approach.) Digital technologies are offering new opportunities to defend from new digital threats and transform your organization’s operations to bring new life to your bottom line.
Where to start?
Look at your end-to-end processes and ask what is the Why behind the What we have been doing?
As always, start with your customer. Dust off that copy of The Goal. Get your sigmas out. Find those bottlenecks and break points in your customer contact points and ask is there a better way?
- Want a clearer voice of your customer? Social Media
- Want to optimize store planning? Virtual Reality Based Testing
- Want rapid product development prototyping? 3D Printing
- Want to get your sales team focused more on selling than paperwork? Mobile
At every step of your value chain, you will begin to transform your organization to secure new sources of revenue growth and productivity.
But We Do This Already
And for those of you who have already jumped head first into digital, in AdWeek’s November 10, 2015 issue, Melissa Hoffman surveyed CMOs about their digital transformation efforts and found:
80% of those surveyed said they were going through a digital transformation but only 25% could point to specific changes that showed they were doing it
Playing at digital does not equate to generating a return on this investment. So again, ask yourself – what is the Why behind the What?
Who owns the Why behind the What?
Digital technologies can transform every aspect of your company. Are you actively controlling this or passively responding to it?
PWC’s Global CEO Survey also found:
90%of UK CEOs say that a clear digital vision is needed within organisations
CEOs should set and own the vision. But they have enough on their plate. CEOs should consider adding a Chief Digital Officer to their leadership team to own the Why behind the What and bring the vision to life. What is a Chief Digital Officer (CDO)? A recent article in TechCrunch offered some good insights into this role:
The CDO can think holistically about how a company’s strategy is executed across all digital channels … A true CDO owns and drives digital strategy across the entire organization and helps it extract value for the business.
The CDO is not only a digital expert but a seasoned General Manager who can own and execute digital business transformation across the enterprise.
Be proactive, ask what is the Why behind the What, and transform for growth!
~Transform4Growth
