The Chief Digital Officer has been around for a while now. It’s not new, but what is demanded of them is. Gone are the days of being responsible for introducing basic digital capabilities and perhaps piloting a handful of initiatives. The Chief Digital Officer is now charged with coordinating and managing comprehensive changes that address everything from updating how a company works to building entirely new businesses.
1. The Chief Digital Officer should make digital a strategic component of the growth
The days of viewing digital as an afterthought or bolt-on are gone. The Chief Digital Officer needs to ensure that digital is a strategic component of the growth and not just an isolated initiative. This means looking at how the entire company operates and making changes where necessary.
It also means identifying which areas are ripe for disruption and taking advantage of digital opportunities.
This doesn’t mean that the CDO should be focused solely on the online world. In fact, a growing number of Chief Digital Officers are responsible for customer experience and engagement across channels – both online and offline. Regardless of the focus, the CDO must have a clear vision for how digital fits into the company’s overall strategy to coordinate operations accordingly.
2. Take the time to learn about your client and devote yourself to their needs
The Chief Digital Officer isn’t just responsible for implementing new technologies but also overseeing how those technologies are used. This means that the Chief Digital Officers need to be up-to-date on which tools employees use and why.
With this information in hand, Chief Digital Officers must devote themselves to their customer base – both internal and external.
This means Chief Digital Officers need to create a strong relationship with the people they serve – both customers and employees alike. By understanding their needs, Chief Digital Officers can ensure that new technologies are being implemented in ways that benefit everyone involved. This also helps Chief Digital Officers identify opportunities for increasing overall productivity by streamlining internal processes or improving external interactions.
CDOs also need to be willing to ask questions about why specific tools are being used – even if the Chief Executive Officer is already happy with their existing setup. Sometimes employees can improve outcomes and become more productive by swapping over from one tool or platform to another, but they aren’t aware of how much better their situation could be.
It’s the CDO’s responsibility to stay on top of these changes and make sure that their team is using the best possible tools for customers’ experience. The colossal part is personalization. Chief Digital Officers must know what their customers want and need before they can even think about implementing new technology.
3. Create an agile, fast-paced data-focused culture
Chief Digital Officers need to create a culture that allows their employees to work smartly and efficiently. This means changing how they think about data and implementing new processes for collecting it.
Taking measures like encouraging more personalized interactions based on data can assist digital executives in improving interactions across every channel, both online and offline.
This also includes helping employees understand the importance of data collection and analysis. Without proper understanding, CDOs will never properly leverage their information or create a culture that encourages it.
In the form of agile development and change, speed is also critical. It embraces rapid iteration and value-oriented modifications in products and services. The Chief Digital Officers must help build these qualities into their teams to react quickly to changes in the market and provide competitive products.
It’s also essential to make sure everyone is using data effectively. This means regularly reviewing how employees collect, analyze, and act on the data. By monitoring performance metrics like sales conversion rates, churn, NPS score, and customer lifetime value, it’s possible to understand how well the team uses data to improve their operations. Data-driven agility guarantees that the insight is quickly plotted into the product and service development roadmap.
4. Open innovation and network with consultants, startups, and tech-driven partners
In today’s digital world, threats come from innovative technologies that enable new businesses, startups that undermine established business models. CDOs that succeed are aware of these developments. Outside of their business, they form networks of people, technologies, and ideas that keep their landscape updated for potential acquisitions or partners who could bring value.
CDOs must have an open mind to new and disruptive technology. They should be actively looking for the latest trends and working with startups and established tech companies to identify potential areas of collaboration. This includes being willing to experiment with different technologies to find the best way to integrate them into their company’s operations.
5. The Chief Digital Officer should build “shipping tasks” culture
CDOs are ultimately judged not on the quality of their ideas but on their ability to lead various teams, direct projects, overcome roadblocks, and deliver integrated change. They need to foster a culture that values shipping tasks over perfecting them.
This means creating an environment where it’s safe for employees to make mistakes and experiment with new ideas. Encouraging this type of behavior will help the team move faster and be more innovative. It also allows CDOs to focus on the big picture without getting bogged down in details.
It’s also critical for CDOs to deliver each project as soon as possible, regardless of the size or scope. This means staying informed about every task and ensuring that smaller projects are completed on time, preventing more significant initiatives from moving forward.
An intelligent Chief Digital Officer will employ reporting and dashboarding creatively. The goal is not to supervise and double-check each activity; instead, it’s to work together as a team to analyze data and identify inefficiencies, waste, and drawbacks through smart dashboarding.
Conclusion
The Chief Digital Officer is quickly becoming one of the most critical roles in a company. They are responsible for coordinating and managing comprehensive changes that address everything from updating how a company works to building entirely new businesses. To be successful, they need to have various skills, including the ability to use data effectively, embrace change quickly, and network with other companies.
Soon, Chief Digital Officers will be expected to implement intelligent robots and algorithms that can perform complex tasks and predict company growth and challenges.
They’ll also need to develop advanced machine learning software capable of making decisions on its own and detecting when something is wrong in a process or system.
The Chief Digital Officer of tomorrow will need to be a master innovator, futurist, and change agent.