Struggling to convince senior leadership of a digital strategy shift?

There will be times when you come across these kinds of challenges. During these situations understand the reasons behind these bottlenecks and the perspectives of the senior leadership. Find the gap that is creating a friction between both of your perspectives. Compare the before performance and aftermath predictions of the old strategy and the new one you have come up with and communicate clearly with a presentation or over a discussion. As senior leadership speaks in numbers, talk about relevant KPIs and success metrics. This approach would help you in finding a middle ground with your senior leaders and helps in removing the blockages.

To convince senior leadership to embrace a digital strategy shift, start by aligning the strategy with the company’s goals and showcasing its benefits. Understand their specific challenges and objectives, and use data to show how digital transformation can address these issues while tapping into market trends. Highlight key advantages like cost savings, increased efficiency, a competitive edge, and better customer experience. Address their concerns with a clear risk mitigation plan and a detailed ROI analysis. Engage key stakeholders early, suggest pilot projects for quick wins, and keep communication open and regular. By presenting a thorough and evidence-backed case, you can effectively advocate for the digital strategy shift.

Senior leaders usually look for concrete information based on numbers: market data and graphs that illustrate how the change could have a positive financial impact on the business. Don't bring the topic up for discussion before you have collected and studied this information in depth.

Data clearly illustrates why targeting our audience digitally is more effective than traditional methods, and vice versa. It provides concrete evidence of how digital channels offer better engagement and precise targeting. Also, data showcases how resource allocation can be optimized for greater efficiency, highlighting real-time tracking and adjustments that lead to cost savings and improved outcomes. Always data-driven insights make a compelling case for embracing a digital strategy .. or Not .

One way to upskill decsion makers is create opportunities of reverse mentoring within the organisation. Creating dedicated time in senior leaders calendar is a game changer in helping them understand the solutions that digital services and tools provide.

One thing I have found helpful is to start these pilots with teams that are naturally inclined in trying new innovations. Usually these will lead to really quick insights to understand if the digital solution is impactful or not. If found with a clear ROI then the scaling up is smoother.

Testing is essential for verifying effectiveness and driving improvement in any strategy. It provides concrete data to support or challenge your decisions, helping you validate assumptions about your audience and market. Through regular testing, you can identify areas for optimization, minimize risks by catching issues early, and gain insights that lead to innovative solutions. This approach builds confidence in your decision-making process and ensures your strategies remain relevant in an ever-changing landscape.

Some ways to get started 1. Start small, run some MVPs 2. Test and learn, don’t be afraid of failure 3. Fall fast, try something new 4. Collect proof points, and share across leadership and address their concerns

I would also add to this: allow experience sharing with leaders who are at different stages of the change journey. Peer to peer. Experience sharing does make a difference.