The Weekly Insight of the “Future of CIO” 2/19/2016

Digitalization is sweeping approach to alter many things underneath the surface of the business.

The “Future of CIO” Blog has reached 1.3 million page views with 2500+ blog posting in 59+ different categories of leadership, management, strategy, digitalization, change/talent, etc. The content richness is not for its own sake, but to convey the vision and share the wisdom. Here is the weekly insight about digital leadership, IT management, and talent Management. 

The Weekly Insight of the “Future of CIO”  2/19/2016

• Three Digital Fatigues IT Needs to Overcome  Digital transformation is an intense, even a stressful journey. It’s more like a sweeping approach to alter many things underneath the surface of the business, such as value, process, culture or behavior, etc. When the need for a significant digital shift is identified, IT often plays a crucial role in “gluing” all important hard elements and soft factors of the business to build differentiated digital capabilities. Therefore, it is the heavy duty for IT to adapt and innovate. But how can IT overcome digital fatigues and revitalize the business to achieve its vision?   

• Three Elements to Fuel Creativity:  Creativity is simply openness to finding connections between ideas, things, people, experience., etc, and making literally something new from existing things. Creative thinking is the way to look at the “old” problems or situations from a fresh perspective that suggests unorthodox solutions. Every forward thinking organization is eager to build a creative workplace, but what are important elements to catalyze creativity, how can you recognize and empower your most creative people and build a culture of creativity?

• Five Aspects of Rebranding IT as a Value Creator: IT is being treated as a cost center and technology controller for years, because many IT organizations are seen as a help desk and a maintenance center to keep the light on, or simply cannot give a fair accounting of where the money is going in terms of business capability or, more importantly, directly identifying the business value. Now with the accelerating digital speed, IT organizations are at the crossroad, either to reinvent its tarnished image or become irrelevant in the digital age. So the challenge facing IT leaders would be how to re-imagine IT and unleash its potential.

• How Coherent are your IT Enabled Digital Capabilities? IT plays a pivotal role in leading digital transformation at many forward-thinking organizations today, and IT strategy is an integral component of the corporate level digital strategy. A digital strategy has a purpose of driving customer engagement and experience as a cross-functional responsibility. Thus, the digital strategy needs to look outward with outside-in customer perspective; but the issue is that most IT departments look inward. So how effective does IT enable the business growth, and how coherent are your IT enabled digital capabilities?

• How to Leverage IT to Unleash the Digital Potential of the Business?  Every forward thinking organization has the digital ambition to become a customer-centric, living, and smart business. Digital organizations are hyperconnected and interdependent and they have to continue to adapt to the digital new normal with “VUCA” characteristics. Information is the lifeblood, and technology is often the “digital disruptor,” so more specifically, how can companies across industrial sectors leverage IT to unleash the digital potential of its business?

Blogging is not about writing, but about thinking and innovating the new ideas; it’s not just about WHAT to say, but about WHY to say, and HOW to say it. It reflects the color and shade of your thought patterns, and it indicates the peaks and curves of your thinking waves. Unlike pure entertainment, quality and professional content takes time for digesting, contemplation and engaging, and therefore, it takes the time to attract the "hungry minds" and the "deep souls." It’s the journey to amplify diverse voices and deepen digital footprints, and it's the way to harness your innovative spirit.