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"Most digital transformations fail for two reasons: 1) their transformation strategy lacks clarity and 2) they don't choose the right processes for disciplined execution. In short, they fail at the where of digital transformation and the how. The roots of the first part of the problem—the where—lie in the hyped-up, fuzzy interpretations of the term 'digital transformation.' Every new IT tool, from new communications software to the next release of an SAP upgrade, is called digital transformation. Technology providers use "herd marketing" techniques to move executives to urgent action. Strong board members, CEOs and executives understandably jump at the opportunity to lead change. This necessary and decisive push by them ironically leads to a 'Ready-Fire-Fire' approach instead of 'Ready-Aim-Fire.' The roots of the second part of the problem—the how—lie in fundamental misunderstandings of the appropriate methodology. Typically, IT projects rely on process improvement methodologies. But what's needed is a genuinely transformational approach."

“Caught between a rock and a hard place, listening to your CEO’s dry-as-dust dogand- pony show, you resist checking your phone because you’re a team player in a well-oiled machine. But left to your own devices, your attention turns to Minecraft or Instagram when the boss declares, ‘We’re raising the bar and pushing the envelope.’

It’s time for a paradigm shift; perhaps a sea change.

Clichés, it goes without saying, are integral to daily discourse. Familiarity with their meanings puts us all on the same page in order to get the ball rolling toward a win-win situation. (But, of course, only time will tell.)”

"Strategic planning has always been an ineffective tool to lead an organization. Don't believe us? That's the finding of the consulting firm McKinsey, which posits that up to 70 percent of strategic plans fail. The venerable institution of strategic planning is long overdue for at least a major overhaul, if not outright replacement."