I Want It That Way

Quixotic a few years ago but the reality is that Backstreet’s back. Yes, the Backstreet Boys. The hugely successful boy band from the 90’s is making headlines again. Apart from #WorldCup2018, this seems to be making the rounds with my peers and former colleagues, many of whom sent me links to "I Want it That Way," a hit song synonymous with my time as Managing Director of LexisNexis Asia Pacific. 

Tell Me Why

I arrived from Canada a few years earlier with a suitcase and mission to grow the Asia Pacific business. Na?ve thoughts of this being a simple "cut and copy" of the Canada growth plan were abandoned once reality sunk in.

My Canadian stripes were not useful in a new territory, and I made mistakes from the get-go which included asking my team to adopt new practices without understanding how business was conducted in this region. I experienced resistance the Asian way – it was never an outright no. Instead I was told, "I'll think about it," or "If you say so," followed by a knowing smile. Suffice to say, progress was slow. 

I soon realized no matter how great or data-driven my plan was, it could and would not be executed properly unless my colleagues bought into the plan as a good thing for their career or the company. I invested more time communicating not just the "whats" but the "whys" of each plan. I communicated to stakeholders often: at the start, at the end, and most importantly in the middle, as change was taking place.

Show Me the Meaning

It was important that stakeholders feel they have skin in the game and that their opinions mattered. I involved them as much as possible so that the plan became "our" plan, buffering project timelines to accommodate discussions. Additionally, we examined lessons learned and outcomes that were helping them develop new skills as they grew in their respective careers. And for a bit of humor, I reminded everyone that change is coming "coz I want it that way" before breaking into my Backstreet Boys dance routine. That was also my subtle way of reminding them change in imminent.

I have fond memories of those good old days when we were creating campaigns to break new ground and beat our annual targets. We worked hard in the day and wound down in the evenings with Backstreet Boys on karaoke (another thing I had to learn to embrace in Asia). 

Get Down, Get Down, and Move It All Around

Fast forward in time and I am now leading IDC Asia Pacific in an environment where technology is forcing change at an unprecedented speed. Every industry, company and person will be affected by digital disruption in the workplace, be it business processes, customer engagement, data analysis and leadership. With businesses racing to reap the benefits of early digital transformation adoption, it’s doubly critical for change to be embraced from the top down, and accept that business practices must adapt with an increasingly digital business landscape. 

In the transformation journey, mindsets and KPIs must likewise transform and align with new metrics for digitalization success. #IDC is helping customers get there with our DX platform framework and industry-first Digital Native Enterprise scorecard, working together to ensure accelerated progress that lead to outcomes achieved on-time and on-budget. In this new economy where customer experience is the name of the game, fortune favors not only the brave, but those who embrace new rules and new ways of thinking. 

Change is non-negotiable and as leaders, our responsibility is to help our colleagues and customers navigate this smoothly. We have to go down to the trenches, understand how and why technology is embraced, motivate those who resist to change, and be a strong adopter of innovation. 

What I learned 20 years ago prevails today. Communicate as much as possible to as many stakeholders as able, focus on the desired outcomes, and make that outcome personal for them. 

And that makes you “Larger than Life.”

#digitaltransformation #digitaldisruption #innovation #leadership #customerengagement #businessstrategy #leadership #changemanagement #BackstreetBoys