What do you do if your technical skills are overpowering your strategic thinking in Digital Strategy?

You might have an edge here. Not all strategists are tacticians, but every tactician is capable of becoming a strategist. A good strategy establishes a set of unifying themes that seamlessly transition into the tactical plan detail. This is where your technical skills shine, and ultimately translates a theoretical strategy into something real and actionable. One solution is to work backwards... You may already have all the technical solutions to address the challenge, but a springboard is required to get there. Recognize the tactician inside you wants to jump straight to the details but your audience either doesn't care or won't follow without a set of unifying themes and organizing principles to navigate toward the solution.

Recognize the imbalance, and know that there is a time and a place for each skillset in Digital Transformation initiative/project. When you are still defining the business problem, usually with business stakeholders. There you must wear your business/problem solving hat i.e. remain with a bigger picture. Outcome here is usually a roadmap and business case. As you progress and now engaging with the SMEs ( people with domain knowledge) and techies. There you must be prepare/able to double click into the next layer of the problem. Outcome here is usually alternatives solutions and architecture. Lastly as you dive deep into weeds to code/review, and test the model outcome. This is where you need to put-on your technical hat.

If technical skills overshadow strategic thinking in Digital Strategy, focus on honing strategic abilities by seeking mentorship, training, and exposure to strategic decision-making processes. Collaborate with colleagues possessing strong strategic acumen, actively engage in strategic discussions, and allocate time for self-study or courses in strategic planning and management. Balancing technical expertise with strategic vision enhances overall effectiveness in digital strategy roles.

#1. Bank on your strengths: Make sure that you are going deep in your skill set and not wide. Your client / stakeholder will recognise your depth of knowledge and hence be able to appreciate the value you bring. #2. Begin with the End in Mind : Before you start the project have clarity of what your perceived role for the project is going to be. If you are aiming to be known as a strategist for the project then set at least 3 characteristic traits that you want to demonstrate during the course of the project. i.e. Long term impact of features / functionalities in the project, User experience impact of marketing campaign, spike in user intake because of xyz added to the strategy.

In my experience, I've seen many talented individuals get lost in the technicalities and lose sight of the overall business objectives. It's crucial to remember that while technical skills are important, they are just one piece of the puzzle. A successful digital strategy requires a balance of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and a clear understanding of the business goals. As I often say, "The prime source of knowledge is experience," and it's through experience that we learn to strike this balance effectively.

When technical skills overshadow strategic thinking in digital strategy, it's vital to realign focus. Try to begin by reassessing organizational goals and the digital initiatives' role in achieving them. Then, prioritise tasks based on their strategic significance and allocate resources accordingly. Remember, strategy involves making choices that drive competitive advantage. By refocusing on strategic direction, you can ensure that digital efforts align with broader business objectives, fostering long-term success.

In the realm of digital marketing, strategy is the compass that guides every campaign. As a seasoned mentor and author, I've seen many organizations lose sight of their strategic north due to an overemphasis on technical prowess. It's crucial to remember that technology is a means to an end, not the end itself. By revisiting and realigning with your core business objectives, you ensure that digital initiatives serve as powerful levers to propel your brand forward, rather than becoming mere tasks on a checklist. This strategic realignment is the essence of my "3 Buckets Concept of Digital Marketing," where balance, focus, and strategic direction are key to gaining a competitive edge.

From my experience, realigning your focus means consciously shifting your mindset from solely technical execution to broader strategic implications. It involves asking yourself how your technical skills can serve larger business objectives and contribute to the strategic vision. This might mean stepping back from the details and looking at the bigger picture, ensuring that every technical decision or innovation aligns with the strategic goals of your organization.

Shift your focus! Combat technical dominance by revisiting business goals and the role of digital initiatives. This strategic lens helps prioritize tasks and resource allocation, guiding your technical skills towards achieving a competitive advantage.

Establishing a baseline, a benchmark is the easiest and most effective way of getting to grips with one's organisation's actual reachable objectives and growth points to hit in future. Without this, it's tough to model success. And audit of internal is key, and understanding external and competitor is needed to drive this gap and grow businesses scalably.

Collaborating with colleagues who have strong strategic planning skills can enhance your own strategic thinking. Seek out opportunities to work on projects with team members or mentors who excel in big-picture thinking. This collaboration not only exposes you to different approaches to digital strategy but also allows you to contribute your technical expertise, creating a synergistic effect. Regularly discuss your strategies and ideas with these collaborators to gain new insights and perspectives, fostering a more balanced approach to digital strategy.

Look and Learn: Observe others in the project / work environment that are looked upon by others as digital strategists. Observe their behaviour, characteristics, skill sets they master. Humans are copy cats by nature, adapt traits that you can comfortably apply in your working style and start implementing. Remember, you are building a secondary skill set that compliments your primary technical skills, do not fall in the trap of swapping one with the other.

Collaboration is key. I've found that working closely with team members who have strong strategic skills can provide a balance to your technical focus. They can offer perspectives that highlight the broader business context and strategic objectives, helping to integrate your technical expertise within a larger framework. This collaborative approach ensures that technical solutions are not just innovative but also strategically sound and aligned with business goals.

Team up for strategic balance! Collaborate with marketers, analysts, and strategists. Their insights can bridge the gap between technical aspects and broader business objectives, ensuring your skills propel the digital strategy forward.

There's no truly objective view point, if it's one-sided!? Right? I mean, the 3 versions come to mind in the conversational. Collaboration is key, truly, to driving effective understanding which is needed to drive results and change. We cannot do without both. First understanding your limitations and then those and the capabilities of your collaborators will greatly effect your strategic interests. Mapping a larger picture of this effect is advisable, all that's known is understood, right? At least more so than not.

Expanding your knowledge beyond technical aspects is crucial in digital strategy. It's not just about understanding the latest tools or platforms, but about comprehending the market dynamics, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape. This holistic approach allows you to anticipate future trends, challenges, and opportunities, ensuring your strategies are not just technically sound, but also business-savvy and future-proof. As a digital marketing mentor, I've seen how this broadened perspective can significantly enhance strategic thinking and decision-making.

Broadening your knowledge base is crucial. I make it a point to continuously learn about both the latest technical advancements and strategic business trends. This dual focus helps in understanding how technical capabilities can be leveraged to drive strategic outcomes, ensuring that your skills remain relevant and are applied effectively within the context of your organization's strategic objectives.

Nurture strategic thinking! Actively explore market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor landscape. This broader knowledge empowers you to anticipate challenges and opportunities, ensuring your technical expertise drives a strategic digital advantage.

Expanding my knowledge beyond the technical domain has been instrumental in enhancing my strategic acumen. Diving into subjects like market trends, consumer psychology, and competitive analysis broadens my understanding of the digital ecosystem. This continual learning journey not only informs my strategic decisions but also ensures that my technical solutions are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the digital landscape.

Here I have an advice that I personally try to follow but it's hard... Resist the allure of immediate solutions; instead, embrace the long-term perspective. So deliberately weigh various scenarios to fortify your strategic prowess. As I said, remember that patience fuels enduring success.

Developing a strategic mindset takes time, especially for those with a strong technical background. I've learned the importance of patience, giving myself the space to grow and adapt. It involves being mindful of the tendency to dive into technical details and consciously steering yourself towards considering the strategic implications of your decisions and actions.

Embrace the bigger picture! Strategic thinking takes time. Resist diving into technical solutions. Practice considering future implications and various scenarios. This thoughtful approach hones your ability to make strategic digital decisions.

Technical skills are absolutely important in executing digital strategy. However, the ability to disconnect and do an overview of the series of activities, implementation, outcomes, and analytics is important in optimizing for results. - Collate necessary data - Assess work input and output dispassionately - Identify gaps and opportunities for growth - Test growth hypothesis - Go back in to using technical skills - Dont forget to reflect regularly

Look back only to see how far you've come. Introspection allows you t reflect on what's working and what's not. Expand your network and learning circle when you feel the need to expand your knowledge and skills.

Regular reflection is vital. I often take time to reflect on my projects and decisions, considering not just the technical outcomes but also how they align with broader strategic goals. This reflection helps in continuously refining the balance between technical prowess and strategic thinking, ensuring that both are being developed and valued equally.

I suggest periods of reflection in 90-day periods, or quarterly. Only because the human state tends to get in the way of ageing analysis. It's not fair to pivot on data over only 30 days, we were all here for COVID - that's our greatest example of how quickly things can fluctuate out of the norm expected, or consistent. Giving enough time for reflection, is my advise here. Also, looking at all corners is essential.

Learn from your actions! Reflect on decisions - technical fix or strategic must-have? Regular self-evaluation helps identify patterns and course-correct your approach. By integrating strategic thinking, you'll master the balance between technical expertise and digital strategy goals.

When your technical prowess seems to overshadow strategic thinking, remember the mantra: "Technology doesn't transform businesses, people do." Concentrate on the 'why' behind your digital strategy and place people (customers and employees) at its heart. Aim to build a bridge between technology and people, ensuring your efforts enhance their experiences and meet their needs. By focusing on how technology serves people and aligning it with your organizational goals, you ensure that your digital strategy remains grounded in delivering real value and driving meaningful change.

You're naturally going to follow the things that give you the most energy. If you're finding a deeper enjoyment in technical marketing vs strategy that isn't a bad thing. There are incredible opportunities for technically astute marketers and there are numerous ways to be technically strategic vs. broadly strategic. It's OK to lean into what's giving you energy. There's no one right path to a strategy career, particularly in digital!

Beyond these steps, it’s important to foster an environment where both technical and strategic skills are valued. Encourage ongoing education and cross-disciplinary learning within your team or organization. Engage with mentors or advisors who can provide guidance on integrating technical and strategic thinking. Lastly, be open to feedback, as it can offer new insights into how you can better balance your skills to contribute effectively to your organization's digital strategy.

Technical knowledge can be a great complement to strategic thinking, but only if you are comfortable with switching between big picture and execution. What often confuses people is the lack of understanding of what "strategy" truly means. "Strategy" is one of the most misused words in business. "Strategy" should never be intended as a list of tactics of projects. "Strategy" is a combination of few key choices about what your key objectives are, where to play & how to win - and, crucially, what you will deprioritise or not do, in order to focus on what you have chosen. Your technical skills will be precious in the next step, which is to translate that strategy into an actionable and realistic roadmap of projects.

Lean into your strengths, and build new ones! If you have a deep technical background, become a voice of expertise in composability and bring important insight on feasibility and complexity of solutions. But, don't only lean into your strengths. Look for ways to expand your knowledge and understanding of strategic measurement, organizational agility, and customer-centricity. Ask other leaders about the business outcomes of technology initiatives, review customer data or join user interviews to build empathy, and work with colleagues to determine how culture and processes can improve to empower digital teams. Lead from strength, but always look to expand your broader expertise.