The elusive but attainable: Driving innovation and technology at scale

In the first article of this series, “Play to Win in 2022: The Four Zones of Successful Digital Transformation ,” I outlined the sharp insights of Geoffrey Moore and his four zones of successful digital transformations. ?Now, we’ll dive into the heart of the make-or-break of transformation initiatives: driving technology and innovation at scale.

With the meteoric rise in remote/hybrid working, ongoing supply-chain disruptions and long-term changes in how we shop, learn and connect, it’s more critical than ever for firms to successfully utilize technology and innovation. The scope and speed of this disruptive change necessitates businesses to transform rapidly and address these new realities.

Before we dive into the Incubation Zone and Transformation Zone (critical stages of driving technology and innovation at scale), we must first define what we mean by “innovation” and “transformation.” Though they are inextricably linked, we define “innovation” as the courage and curiosity to think of a different future, while “transformation” is the discipline and determination to get there. Intangibles like bold and creative thinking, combined with the cultural framework for innovation, underpin technology transformation.

Let’s get started.

Applying the lessons of transformation to EY transformations

A critical component of my role leading EY transformations is applying key learnings from current and previous client engagements. I — along with a stellar team of technologists, subject-matter professionals and innovation leaders — have used elements of the Incubation Zone to test new concepts and innovations that have been highly disruptive. This zone can be a challenge for some organizations; we’ve certainly undergone our own trials and tribulations. However, we have successfully drawn upon the lessons of EY client work, our experiences, and Geoffrey’s playbook to build the operating models necessary to scale innovation and technology.?

Now, transformation is bigger than one team, one region or one technology — and small-scale reinventions, isolated from the rest of the organization, can eat up too much time and effort, for results that lack a broader impact. As Geoffrey notes, in the Transformation Zone, a disruptive, scaled innovation in this zone may cannibalize a company’s existing business. While the Transformation Zone is temporary, it demands the organization’s full focus and potentially a realignment of priorities. As such, it is critical for CEOs to lead with empathy and transparency, as this level of change management can be unwieldy and overwhelming for employees if not handled with the right care.

While our journey continues, we have made important progress. We are investing in the future, and the clients’ futures; technology and data professionals today exceed 44,000 technologists and 22,000 data professionals across the global EY network. And fundamental to this effort continues to be an unrelenting focus on leadership rooted in empathy, purpose and vision.

In the final installment of this series, I will go over what it means to lead with empathy in a time of tremendous disruption and broad-scale change. We don’t know what the future has in store, but I know if leaders adhere to principled leadership and maintain a commitment to empowering employees with the right support and resources, and with discipline, determination and rigor, technology and innovation will flourish, and transformation will be within reach.

The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms.?