The Three Steps in Every Upgrade
/When you improve your operations, you’re upgrading your business. When you embark on such a change, it’s important to consider the three steps in every upgrade.
In Trusting Technology, I write about building confidence in change. For that, you need to master:
Vision—outcomes, risks, and strategic context for the upgrade you’re embarking on.
Launch—timely, likely rapid, laying of the foundations required to hit your goals.
Navigation—a simple way to monitor the work, test assumptions, and course correct.
Each of these steps defines a critical phase. Let’s start at the beginning.
Nailing Your Vision—promptly
There’s a lot to consider when you’re sizing up a significant upgrade—culture, process, information and technology. It can be bewildering; the range of approaches swings between:
Months of research, preparation and planning.
Hasty consideration of a financial ROI, then leaping into the abyss.
Fact is, a thorough vision can be created very quickly given some defined pre-work. Extended research rarely produces a dramatic improvement. Better to launch with confidence and get into the work.
Some key questions to ask—and answer promptly—are:
What are your ambitions for this upgrade? How must it contribute to your strategy?
What assumptions must come true for your vision to be achieved?
How will your organization’s capabilities need to change?
What can you learn from the successes of other businesses—and from their failures?
Take a look at my Digital Vision Day for more ideas.
I’ll return to the second and third steps soon.
Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order your copy here.