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Navigating Life’s Unkown Journey

Yesterday a former colleague and friend went off to Army basic training. At the age of 30 he made a significant decision to serve his country and fellow citizens. I was with him through this decision process that evolved over a 2-year period. For the next 6 months he’ll be enculturated and trained to lead soldiers. He left a path in the business world to engage an entirely new path in his third decade.  It made me contemplate how life is an unknown journey.

Think about your own personal path and the path your business is on today. Is it what you thought it would be? Are the goals you set 5 or 10 years ago achieved in the way you envisioned those goals would be achieved? My gut tells me that very few can answer that question positively. External forces act in unpredictable ways. Internal motivations change. Your ability to make decisions in the face of these unknown forces sets your new path.

Only you can make your dreams come true

Back in the ‘90s I had a weekly radio show in Los Angeles, yes pre-social media where everyone with a phone has a show, focused on self-determination tips mixed with awesome rock music. My tag line was “only you can make your dreams come true”. The focus was on making decisions based on personal goals, understanding that the path to those goals can wind all over the place. Wisdom enough to make good decisions takes many years of learning from questionable decisions. For those fortunate enough to have acquired wisdom you can stop reading.

Foundational Principles

Navigating around storms effectively requires a foundational destination. Deciding on that destination is crucial. Looking into your personal outcome establishes that foundation. I constantly hear that millennials and gen-z need purpose-driven work that aligns with their personal values and social causes. That’s great. If you know what those values and social causes are, and they are clearly and distinctly articulated. “Make the world a better place” doesn’t offer a path. Clarity in your principle(s) should be paramount. For me, my guiding principle has always been to “assist others in achieving their goals” this has always been my critical question when evaluating direction on a winding path. Will this decision align with my guiding principle. The result has been a career in management consulting with a focus on leading transformational change. My path to get there isn’t one that I would have ever plotted for myself, but each decision on the way to the goal was measured against the guiding principle.

Stay Ahead of The Airplane

When learning to fly an airplane new students tend to focus on what’s happening now. Experienced pilots think ahead of the now into the next set of tasks. Imagine if your pilot on a commercial flight is so busy talking to air traffic control that they don’t think far enough ahead to avoid a thunderstorm, oops, too late, lots of turbulence for mom and the kids.

Translating that to navigating life’s journey is to say that you need to look beyond the now when making decisions. Live in the moment but always look ahead to where you want to go.

Adaptability Is Key

Life’s journey is rife with unexpected twists and turns, much like an airplane navigating through unpredictable weather. Adaptability becomes a crucial skill. The ability to pivot, to reassess and realign your path in response to changing circumstances, distinguishes those who merely survive from those who thrive. Just as a pilot must remain flexible and responsive to changing conditions, so too must you in your personal and professional life.

Learn from Setbacks

Setbacks and challenges are inevitable. It’s how you respond to them that defines your journey. Each obstacle offers a learning opportunity, a chance to gain wisdom and resilience. Reflect on past decisions, both good and bad, to gather insights for future choices. Embrace failures as part of your growth process. They often provide the most profound lessons and pave the way for future successes.

Stay True to Your Vision

While flexibility is essential, so is having a clear vision. Your vision acts as your North Star, guiding you through uncertain times. It’s important to remain focused on your long-term goals, even as you adapt your strategies along the way. Periodically revisit and refine your vision to ensure it remains relevant and inspiring.

Build a Support System

Navigating life’s unknown journey is not something you have to do alone. Surround yourself with a support system of friends, mentors, and colleagues who can provide guidance, encouragement, and perspective. Lean on them when faced with tough decisions or moments of doubt. Their support can be invaluable in helping you stay on course.

Embrace the Journey

Ultimately, life’s journey is as much about the process as it is about the destination. Embrace the experiences, both good and bad, and appreciate the growth that comes with them. Each step, each decision, and each challenge shapes who you are and prepares you for the future.

Navigating life’s unknown journey is a complex, yet deeply rewarding endeavor. By setting a clear vision, staying adaptable, learning from setbacks, and building a strong support system, you can chart a path that leads to fulfillment and success. Remember, the journey itself is filled with opportunities for growth and discovery. Enjoy the ride.

November 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , , | Leave a comment

Chief Digital Officer (CDO) The What’s and Who’s

Digital transformations don’t happen all by themselves. Over the past decade as digitization of the enterprise has taken hold a new C-Level role has been appearing, the Chief Digital Officer.

The term “Chief Digital Officer” (CDO) started gaining traction in the early 2010s. According to Gartner, a leading research and advisory company, the CDO role was predicted to become a “hot executive title” by 2012, and they forecasted that by 2015, 25% of organizations would have a CDO. As is often the case, adoption predictions take longer to materialize than is thought. According to research from PwC, about 21% of large public firms now have a CDO. A little short of the 25% number predicted for 2015 but still a significant presence in the board room.

CDO’s play a crucial role in modern organizations, spearheading digital transformation efforts essential for businesses to remain competitive in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world. The importance of the CDO lies in their ability to integrate digital technologies into every aspect of a company’s operations, driving enhanced efficiency, improving customer experiences, and unlocking new revenue streams.

What does a CDO do? CDO Role and Value

Driving Digital Transformation: At the heart of the CDO’s role is the responsibility to drive digital transformation across the organization. This involves not just implementing innovative technologies, but also rethinking and redesigning business processes to use digital capabilities fully. This transformation is essential for companies to stay relevant in an increasingly digital economy, where traditional business models are continually being disrupted by innovative digital solutions.

Enhancing Customer Experience: The CDO is tasked with improving the customer journey by using digital tools to provide seamless, personalized experiences. In a world where customer expectations are at an all-time high, businesses must deliver consistent, high-quality interactions across all digital touchpoints. The CDO ensures that the organization is equipped to meet these expectations by integrating customer data, leveraging artificial intelligence, and employing user-friendly digital interfaces.

Optimizing Operations: Digital transformation is not just about customer-facing changes; it also involves refining internal operations. The CDO works to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and improve decision-making through data analytics and automation. This can lead to significant cost savings and enhanced productivity, providing the company with a competitive edge.

Fostering Innovation: A critical aspect of the CDO’s role is to foster a culture of innovation within the organization. This involves encouraging experimentation with modern technologies, supporting digital initiatives, and promoting a mindset of continuous improvement. By driving innovation, the CDO helps the organization to stay ahead of technological trends and respond quickly to market changes.

Ensuring Cybersecurity: As businesses become more digitally integrated, the risk of cyber threats increases. The CDO handles implementing robust cybersecurity measures to protect the organization’s data and digital assets. This includes ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and fostering a culture of security awareness among employees.

What does a CDO look like? Typical Profile

Technological Smarts: A successful CDO must have a deep understanding of various digital technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity. This technical knowledge allows them to find and implement the right digital solutions for the organization.

Strategic Vision: The CDO should have a strong strategic vision to drive the digital agenda. This involves understanding the broader business context and aligning digital initiatives with the company’s overall goals. The ability to think long-term and anticipate future technological trends is crucial.

Leadership Skills: Effective leadership skills are essential for a CDO, as they must inspire and motivate the organization to embrace digital change. This includes leading cross-functional teams, managing resistance to change, and fostering a collaborative environment.

Business Acumen: The CDO needs a solid grasp of business fundamentals to ensure that digital initiatives deliver tangible business value. This includes understanding key performance indicators, financial metrics, and market dynamics.

Change Management: Driving digital transformation often involves significant organizational change. The CDO must be adept at managing this change, including communicating the benefits of digital initiatives, training employees, and ensuring a smooth transition.

Final Thoughts

The role of the Chief Digital Officer is pivotal in navigating the complexities of the digital age. By driving digital transformation, enhancing customer experiences, optimizing operations, fostering innovation, and ensuring cybersecurity, the CDO helps organizations to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape. What I find interesting is that in collaborating with my clients over the past decade since the inception of the CDO title I’ve never run into that role in any of my clients. It’s most often a project specific role that fills that space working with the C-Suite versus being a member of it. I’m looking forward to seeing the continued expansion of the role in all organizations over the next few years.

November 13, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , , | Leave a comment

Digital Transformation:Erecting the House

The Challenge

In my last installment I discussed building the foundation for Digital Transformation.  It’s time to erect that digital house on the strong foundation of business alignment that’s been poured and the clean-up of software debris completed. Adoption of new tools and processes always, and I mean always, represent the highest hurdles any enterprise must overcome to achieve digital transformation. Just a reminder that 38% of spend on these projects DO NOT mee their ROI objectives. So, 38 dollars or every 100 spent gets flushed into oblivion. In my experience that number is often higher but unrecorded.

Focus on Adoption

In my neighborhood a home built in the 1980’s has been undergoing a massive renovation, it’s been nearly 2 years since the whole process started. We were all very glad to see the changes, at first. To say that the neighbors are over-it is an understatement. Trucks everywhere blocking the street, a never-ending stream of contractors, noise and distraction have made all of us less than excited about the outcome, we just want it OVER! It’s the same phenomenon with digital transformation projects, employees see the value when the work begins but over time if the distraction of the change overshadows the intended outcome interest wanes and resistance builds. Consider that on any given day over 60% of employees are frustrated by new technology implementations. Successful digital transformation efforts understand this challenge and plan to reduce the risk.

Adoption Critical Success Factors

  • Modernize Processes
    • Redesign the business processes impacted by the change BEFORE implementing the digital tools. Never hope that the technology will change the processes by default.
    • Work closely with key influencers in the process areas impacted to understand the work and build confidence that the technology improvements with make their lives easier and more productive.
    • Memorialize the modernized processes on paper. Yes, on paper. Despite the notion that no one reads paper, employees want to see their new processes in front of them to understand, review and provide feedback.
  • Design a Unified User Experience
    • One password, one landing page, a unified experience that allows employees easy access to the new technology experience.  There is no bigger mistake than to add passwords and landing pages to the already overloaded technology stack.
    • Unified experiences that clearly mechanize the modernized processes give users the confidence needed to dive in and build competency. Forcing users to navigate new paths on top of old paths will make time to value increase significantly.
  • Engage, Engage, Engage
    • Introducing digitally transformed processes requires time and effort in engagement with the impacted employees. Build that time into the roll-out calendar. Shorting the initial adoption period is the biggest miss I see most often.
    • Ensure senior leadership and process influencer involvement early and often.
    • Focus on the WIIFMs (What’s In It For Me) value in every conversation. Users really don’t care much about the “bigger picture” value the digitization will produce; they focus on how it helps them do their job faster and easier. Unless everyone in the business owns stock in the company shareholder value is a poor WIIFM.
  • Measure Adoption Religiously
    • Observe usage regularly. Regularly depends on the process being performed some processes occur daily, others monthly or even less often, build a measurement scheme that takes these periods into account.
    • Digital observation is only one way to measure adoption, it’s often the least reliable method. Digital monitoring will only provide a signal that adoption is weak, physical observation and measurement offers stronger data to assist users in adoption.
  • Recognize Early Adopters
    • Positive reinforcement of early adoption through highlighting success stories builds momentum for the changes implemented.
    • Publicize stories about how customers are served more quickly and accurately than ever before or any other positive outcomes from early adopters.

Closing Thoughts

Digital transformation with embedded artificial intelligence is underway across the business community. Massive investment in digital technologies only produces the desired outcomes when these technologies become institutionalized as leading practice in your business. Be mindful of the positive steps you can take to reduce the risk of failure by planning carefully and executing flawlessly.

November 6, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , , | Leave a comment