CIO Diary: Third Entry

We need a strategy

Drafting a digital strategy is one of those tasks that, as a CIO, you know will define your success—or failure. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about aligning that technology with the business’s heartbeat. I remember when I first sat down to craft a digital strategy. I knew the stakes were high but didn’t anticipate the winding path ahead.

It started with a simple realization: I needed to understand the core of the business better than anyone. Sure, I knew our systems, our network, and our data, but did I truly grasp where the company wanted to go? I spent weeks immersing myself in the business goals, talking to the CEO about our long-term vision, and listening to the COO’s concerns about operational efficiency. I had to see the bigger picture, not just the IT piece of the puzzle.

Understanding the Business Goals:

I knew that my first step was understanding the business from the ground up. I scheduled meetings with the key players, starting with the CEO. He laid out the company’s vision with the enthusiasm of someone who’s built this empire from the ground up. He talked about expansion, market leadership, and innovation. Clearly, our digital strategy had to fuel these ambitions (...and little did I know).

Next, I turned to the COO, who had his own set of priorities—efficiency, quality, and cost control. He wasn’t as excited about the shiny new tech as I was. He wanted to know how digital transformation would make his operations smoother and his team more productive. It was a different perspective, but one that I had to integrate into the strategy.

Involving the Right Stakeholders:

I quickly realized that crafting a digital strategy in isolation was a recipe for disaster. This wasn’t just my strategy—it was the company’s. So, I brought in the CFO, CHRO, and other department heads. We sat around a table, a group of leaders with different lenses, all looking at the same problem. It wasn’t always easy. The CFO was cautious and focused on ROI and risk - (a common side effect of seeing everything through the lens of numbers alone). The CHRO was concerned about how our people would adapt to new tools and processes - (a sentiment not uncommon when dealing with the unpredictable nature of human behaviour). But these conversations were essential. We weren’t just discussing technology; we were shaping the company's future.

Getting Buy-In:

I knew getting buy-in would be challenging, especially with so many competing interests in the room. But I had to find a way to make them see what I saw—that this digital strategy wasn’t just another IT project but a crucial driver of our future success.

I remember crafting the presentation late one night, my desk covered in notes and projections. I knew I had to make a compelling case, showing how each piece of the strategy connected directly to the company’s goals. I tied every digital initiative back to something tangible—higher revenues, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction. When I finally stood in front of the leadership team, I felt the weight of their expectations. But as I laid out the strategy, linking it to our shared objectives, I could see the shift in their eyes. This wasn’t just my vision—it was becoming theirs too.

Challenges and Issues:

Even with the best-laid plans, I knew we were going to face challenges. The first hurdle was resistance to change. I could already hear the grumbling from some of the departments—“Why fix what isn’t broken?” they’d say. I knew that fostering a culture of continuous learning was going to be critical. We rolled out training programs, offered support, and communicated constantly, trying to bring everyone along on this journey.

Then, there was the issue of resource allocation. I had to fight for every dollar and every hour of manpower. The CFO needed convincing that this wasn’t just another cost centre but an investment in our future. I learned quickly that being a CIO meant being a diplomat, a negotiator, and sometimes a politician (....a great addition to the resume).

And then came the technical challenges—integrating new systems with our legacy infrastructure was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. There were days when I wondered if we’d bitten off more than we could chew. But I knew that perseverance was key. We took a phased approach, tackling one piece at a time, adjusting as we went along. This excludes the agony I faced with vendors who seemed to have a 'solution' for everything yet often added more complexity than clarity.

Reflection:

Drafting a digital strategy is more than a task—it’s a journey. It’s about seeing the big picture while managing the details, about leading through influence and collaboration. There are many challenges, and the road is never straight. But when you finally see the pieces coming together—when the CEO nods in approval, the COO sees the operational improvements, the CFO recognizes the value, and the CHRO sees the workforce adapting—you know that you’re not just leading a project, you’re leading a transformation.

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