PS it’s not all about the tech
A timely truth bomb for the techies: it ain’t all about the tech.
The shiny AI, the gleaming new dashboard, the polished bits and bytes – it’s intoxicating stuff. But without the right people, culture and vision it can be an expensive distraction.
‘Cos tech isn’t the hero of the piece. The story of the ages is that technology brings to life that which begins in the human imagination.
Aligning the two is still just good business …
The digital delusion
For organisations, digital transformation isn’t any longer optional. It’s a matter of survival. Firms need to engage the market’s best solutions if they’re to maintain their competitive edge.
But those who think this is just a matter of tech miss the forest for the trees.
It’s the classic trap; focusing on tech before outcomes is a killer …
What does digitally driven really mean?
We talk about being digitally driven as a necessity in business. It is. But it’s sometimes important to explain what digitally driven is not …
Being digitally driven is not about fetishising fashionable tools and shelling out on blind faith. It is not assuming that because it’s shiny or new, or ‘cos Wired magazine thinks it’s tops, the results will come Field of Dreams style.
No. Being digitally driven is more holistic. It is a culture of continuous learning and innovation; where data informs sharper, faster, better business decisions. It is leveraging appropriate technologies specifically to facilitate business outcomes; whether that’s strengthening customer relationships, enhancing productivity or facilitating creativity.
Digitally driven? It’s more about the casing for the technology than technology itself.
Throwing kit at the wall to see what sticks
There’s a stat which gets a lot of press in our industry. It says that nine in every ten digital transformation projects fail …
But that’s misleading. Nine in ten business transformation projects don’t fail per se – they just disappoint. Nine in ten projects do not live up to leaders’ expectations and the perception is that tech tools ultimately underdeliver versus their price and promise.
If we had a nickel …
Should business leaders identify the need for new tech solutions then those solutions cannot be seen in a vacuum because they will not succeed in a vacuum. Results hang on other forces; human ones …
When business culture and / or leadership are not in place and primed to receive, embrace and optimise new tools, it’s basically throwing kit at the wall to see what sticks.
‘Cos tools are just that – tools. They’re not magic beans. They won’t sprout efficiency and profits as soon as we flick the on switch. Technology might’ve changed but the land of milk and honey is built on familiar bedrock.
The ingredients of digital success
Tech or no, strategy, culture and leadership are the trinity. Groundbreaking new kit won’t live up to expectation if the fundamentals aren’t working in harmony.
For technology to succeed it needs to align with broader business outcomes. That’s strategy.
For strategy to succeed, it needs all people pulling in that direction. That’s culture.
For culture to continue on its course it needs management. That’s leadership.
The organisation that is truly digitally driven – with the trinity and its structures in place – can have the confidence to view technology almost as icing on the cake.
AI needs HI
These solid business foundations are just as vital as we stare down the next frontier.
For sure, AI’s potential is massive but all is abstract and academic until a business can activate that potential. Strategic alignment with business outcomes, a culture of competence, and commitment from leaders, an investment in getting your data together would be a starting point. “as the saying goes Sht in, sht out…. AI is different … but it isn’t that different, and it isn’t a unicorn
There’s a huge opportunity to use AI to solve problems, bridge gaps, expose efficiencies and evolve outcomes, but humans remain at the business end of everything.
That story of the ages mentioned in the intro, well the numbers still tell it: automation might displace 85 million jobs but it’ll create 97 million new ones. The key is adaptability.
The PerfectRebel challenge
Our challenge to business is to urge that you stop obsessing over the technology you could buy and start obsessing over the outcomes you want to create. Start there.
Identify where next-gen tools may be able to address clear and present business problems and honestly appraise whether business culture is ready and optimised for the change.
And let’s say you’re ready today, what about tomorrow? What about next year?
Digitally driven is a constant. It’s not static. It’s a verb. The pace of progress is only getting quicker. Yes the story is evolving, but tech is tech where humans are still front and centre.