Looking back; Looking forward

Every January I create some space to reflect on the year past and the year ahead. Things I thought to be true, an experience that challenged that thinking, and what as a consequence what I now believe to be true.

This year has been particularly interesting against the backdrop of some significant changes, head winds and a changing economic climate. Also, after 2 full years of COVID, industries and countries and starting to emerge into the long lauded new-normal.

Having lived here in Thailand for almost 20 years the shift in the last 2 years to a virtually cashless society, rapid changes to business practices and the general approach to grass roots innovation to adapt and overcome has amplified the compressive nature of the pandemic and reinforced my notions around where Thailand should be on the ASEAN and world stage.

So it was with great interest that I read through Deloitte's Thailand Digital Transformation Report 2022 to see what Thai businesses were saying about themselves and how the reality-perception compared to my view having lived through these changes first hand.

Clearly there has been lots of progress across all three domains of Digital Customer, Digital Work and Digital Core, which is to be applauded. As a Consulting Principal for Microsoft helping many of the largest and most strategic customers in Asia tackle and design their digital futures I would frame the journey as Explore, Do and Be Digital. Reading the Deloitte language around Exploring, Doing, Becoming and Being Digital was a useful means to reflect on advice I provided pre-pandemic and how some of those initiatives have, and continue, to play out.

I would summarise the Deloitte report with the observation that the greatest potential lies in the Becoming Digital phase. My own work has impressed on me the jump from Doing to Being, the art of Becoming Digital, is no small feat. The transformation needed across Core and Work should never be under-estimated. Indeed I still see the challenges in adopting cloud-first principles stalled by process and mindset that is based on legacy systems operating in conflict with cloud-based capabilities. Technologists must ally with Business, Operations, and HR to make the effective leap into Being Digital as the impacts can be far reaching. It would be a crying shame to see all of the advances towards digital work, ecosystems and new customer experiences dissolve under the weight of pre-COVID processes and inertia.

One thing is certain in my mind amidst the layoffs that are ravaging the tech sector in recent weeks as hyperscalers and other companies restructure to meet the new realities. That is that the future of work has to be based on the potential and ability to adapt. Is this finally the rise of the generalist?

As we move forward HR has to be an ally and at the same time remodel itself to the talent and human capital engine that their supporting businesses really need. Deloitte's Mark Maclean was already talking about the need for Leadership to shift before COVID. Ultimately the shift from Doing Digital to Being Digital is a mindset shift in how the organization thinks, decides and operates. This is the challenge for 2023 and 2024.

For a broader perspective on some of these talking points I would also recommend Episode 26 of Deloitte's Cloud Speed Podcast where Adam Gogarty talks with my friend and former-colleague Mark S. and others on Cloud First Businesses and the wider application of Being Digital to business.

Metinee Leevarapakul Jongsaliswang, DBA Angeline Leong Matt Havens J.D. Meier Steven Leigh

#lookingfourth