Balancing Direction and Speed in Digital Transformation

In the fast-paced world of digital transformation, the pressure to deliver quick results can be overwhelming. However, true transformation takes time. Time is a crucial ingredient in producing the right strategy and cumulative results that are sustainable and impactful.

True, speed is frequently equated with success. Everyone wants to be seen as a person of action. And i am certainly someone who appreciates bias for action. Yet, rushing into problem-solving can lead to superficial fixes or to spending resources solving the wrong problem.

Taking the time to really understand the problem, who suffers from what, and why it is important to solve it is the best investment one can make in digital transformation.

There must be a clear, unambiguous view of what the objectives are. This gives direction. Once that is established, the next steps should focus on researching, gather relevant data, and consider various perspectives. While this takes some time, it allows for a deeper dive into the complexities of the issue, increasing the chances that the solutions proposed are fit for purpose, scalable, and robust.

A Path to Effective Digital Transformation:

1. Define the Problem: Use time to clearly understand the problem. What exactly is the issue? Why is it a problem? Who is affected by it?

2. Assess the urgency: Determine whether the problem needs to be solved immediately and why. How does it “move the needle”?

3. Research: Collect information, learn what has been done before and what worked and what didn’t work, inside and outside the enterprise.

4. Consider Alternatives: Explore different options and paths. Which ones could be applicable and suitable in your context?

5. Strategic Action Planning: Once you have a clear understanding of the problem and potential solutions. That’s the time to deliver a plan and execute it in a deliberate and well-thought-out.

6. Deliver, assess and adjust: A plan is only meaningful if it is actionable, its results assessed and then adjusted to become more refined and more effective.

In business, speed is undoubtedly important. However, there are times when it is urgent to pause before accelerating again. Just as in a road trip, the first part is knowing where we want to get to, then decide the route to follow, where we want to stop to rest and enjoy the views and finally when is the right moment to continue the journey.