Structures usually inhibit progress.
Replacing structures to deliver accountability.
Managers of business structures would do better to heed the lessons learned from the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic’s collision with an iceberg. Today, everyone must become more nimble and learn how to respond quickly. Unanticipated opportunities and threats of the globalised world driven by disruptive technology can cause havoc.
Evolving from a structured organisation to an agile one can be difficult. However, it doesn’t mean you must restructure to survive and thrive. Managing change means assigning accountabilities, specifying the desired outcomes, and then introducing digital strategies to help all those involved.
Now, you can let the responsible person decide how to accomplish the desired outcomes. Individuals or teams who become accountable become agiler and can quickly adjust their actions and behaviour as they identify what is working and what is failing.
Assigning accountabilities is different from structures in several ways:
- There is less budgeting and more market-based resource allocation.
- There is more personal flexibility, leading to improved enthusiasm and motivation.
- People would prefer to be coached rather than managed, particularly micro-managed.
Digital technology addresses the need for speed.
Managers have been automating and re-engineering processes forever. The aim should be to improve efficiency and reliability. Companies are often saddled with a mess of entangled technologies, making it challenging to keep up with an accelerating rate of innovation to meet customer demands.
Don’t adopt strategies that keep you tied to all your old technology and marketing programs. Instead, focus on digital technologies enabled by building a growing tool chest of capabilities. Reusable components and standardised processes will continuously create value faster and faster.
Objectives should be frequently discussed and ambitious in scope. They should be measured with specific metrics and milestones, and be transparent for everyone in the organisation. Digital technology in operations and marketing can accomplish far better outcomes.
Streamline structures and accountability.
A digital strategy will improve work and life, if nothing else. It will do this through improved innovation and productivity.
The best place to start replacing structures with accountability is in marketing. Reassess your website development. Digital technology offers many opportunities to improve customer service and experience; it can transform your marketing programs and your whole approach to doing business.
Sustainable modern operating structures require digital technology to connect all the elements.
Employees shouldn’t worry about automation because they have used it for years. Every organisation seems to be constantly changing its structures. It must meet the challenges, whereas new digital technology can now make quantum leaps.
Perhaps it’s time to change your marketing playbook to a digital marketing playbook to create the future they want. Doing nothing is no longer an option unless you want to die a death of a thousand cuts. Structures and customers integrated with digital marketing help businesses perform better.
Quotable Quotes
“Accept responsibility for your digital strategy, and be accountable for your structural improvements. Take ownership of implementing new digital marketing technology”. Peter Sergeant
“There is no accountability today, no willingness to focus on big ideas”. Michael Bloomberg