Inclusive Views

There are multiple viewpoints to understand digital, and there is no "one size fits all" formula for digital transformation.

The effects of an increasingly digitalized world are now reaching into every corner of businesses and every aspect of organizations. There are many views to understand digitalization, and there is no "one-size-fits-all-all" formula to pursue it. Each organization just has to connect the dots, "walk the talk," explore their own way, start creating their own strategy, and build their own differentiated business competency and “integrated whole,” to get digital ready.  

Connecting Dots to Convey the Contrarian View of Digital Transformation

Simplicity vs. Complexity Simplicity vs complexity is an age-old dilemma even in English Grammar! The simplicity and the complexity are just opposite ends of the same spectrum. That compounds all "problems." You need complexity to understand and appreciate simplicity and vice versa. It's all about balance and perception.

Transactional vs. Transformational Digital Competency?  Forward-looking organizations are on the journey of digital transformation, to become more nimble, innovative, and customer-centric and achieve high-performance business results consistently. To reach the digital vision, businesses have to build a healthy digital capability portfolio with the balance of transactional capabilities for “keeping the lights on,” and the transformative capabilities for lifting the organization to the upper level of maturity. The cohesive set of business capabilities is built into the digital competency of the organization for gaining long-term business advantage.

Innovation vs. Rules?  Innovation is to transform novel ideas and achieve business value. Innovation is doing something better than it currently is. Hence, it requires a sound and competent understanding of what is currently being done. Innovation is not serendipity, it's a mindset, a process, and a strategic business capability nowadays. From an innovation management perspective, should innovators break rules, or does innovation need rules, and how to improve manage innovation effortlessly and improve its success rate??

Systems Thinking vs Common Sense? Common sense is an accumulated experience from day-to-day activities. With common sense, we avoid the complexity with the intention of thinking fast. However, we must be cautious of common sense. Because what seems to make sense in one circumstance might not work so well in another situation. Common sense often uses false assumptions and intuition instead of thinking thoroughly. What systems thinking appears to allow us to do pretty well is juggle our preconceptions and allow us to comprehend where they lead to. So system thinking vs. common sense: what’s the leverage point?

Performance vs. Potential - Which One is More Crucial? Performance is how someone has performed in the past plus the present in various related contexts/ jobs. The potential is how one might perform in a different context or within the same context as a result of growth, maturity, skill development, or capability shaping, etc. Performance keeps the business running; and potential moves the business to the next level; so performance vs. potential, how shall you assess them objectively; are organizations really buy-in to talent development? In this day and age of instant up-to-the-minute information of stock performance and earnings reports that are due on a quarterly basis, what are the real odds of companies that actually put in the time to develop their human capital so employees would achieve their full potential, and ultimately organizations can grow into a Digital Master?

The “Future of CIO” Blog has reached 2 million page views with about #3900th 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. Blogging is not about writing, but about thinking and innovating 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 take time for digesting, contemplation, and engaging, and therefore, it takes 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.

Posted in: Digital Balance,Digitalization,Sum UP