THE GUIDING QUESTION

What is your Big Transformational Idea? We mean really big!

The quest for the Big Transformational Idea, which can be stored as a creative platform above everything, is likely to be the most difficult question. Conventional concepts are no longer relevant. It takes courage to try new things and to let creativity run free – with new technological possibilities as assistance and as challenge at the same time. Depending on your point of view, it turns out that this creative act will make all the difference in the future. This is reflected in all areas of the company – always fuelled by newly gained knowledge and experiences.

Bringing the best value proposition into life is the task of the Big Transformational Idea. Holistic in perspective, operationalised down to the last detail.

HOW TO DEVELOP A BIG TRANSFORMATIONAL IDEA

The sky is the limit for creativity. The flow can be endless and could lead you anywhere. However, your Unique Value Proposition is the starting point for all things. What looks and feels like coming out of the blue, always has roots. So, the current strengths of the company provide a framework to rely on for the development of your Big Transformational Idea (BTI). There must be a value in what your company has been doing so far; otherwise, what are you still doing here?

The definition of your Big Transformational Idea must be bold; it must be connected to your company and to the outside world. It’s essential that your BTI takes your existing strengths into account.

If it doesn’t, then we are not talking about reinvention – you are starting something completely new. Not everyone who used to sell rubber boots will be able to create mobile phones later. To be honest: That is an absolute exception. Every successful reinvention is based on a BTI, and everyone in the company must understand the BTI and act accordingly. Otherwise you have to remind them over and over again like Starbucks did it in the past. It will be a game-changer, not only for the company, but also for everyone working there and its stakeholders, too. Your idea must therefore be new and surprising – otherwise it wouldn’t be an IDEA. And at the same time your idea must be rooted and familiar – otherwise it wouldn’t be YOUR idea.

There are hundreds of methods, tools, teachers, workshop to choose from to create a BTI. Each of them, and each combination of them, can be the right one to unleash the creative potential of your company – but none of them is a blueprint, there are various different reinvention types. There’s no patented way to link history with future; or your roots with the open sky. You’ll have to find your own way, like no others before. It’s big and it’s bold and it transforms everything within the organisation – it keeps and attracts new customers (hey Drucker). 

THE ROAD TO INTELLIGENT TRANSFORMATION

The BTI is not the end of your journey; it’s just the beginning. It can give you a clue where to look, where to go to and which obstacles you’ll need to overcome. But, to quote Tom Petty: “it never walks alone”. Understanding the concept of Intelligent Transformation helps to broaden your horizon and add additional perspectives. Intelligent Transformation acts as a north star or open thought-cloud for BTI creation.

Everything that can be digitalized will be digitalized. Everything that can be made intelligent will become intelligent.

Reshaping digital to Intelligent Transformation is a paradigm-shift for the 21st century. It literally consists of the terms Intelligence – and thereby the possibilities of AI in relation to product development, digitalisation of services and value chain – and Transformation with capital letters; reflecting the success-critical human aspect of change with employees and organisation, brand and, again, the customers.

INTELLIGENT TRANSFORMATION A BUZZWORD OF THE 20s

Thanks to the possibilities offered by new and ever-improving work- and function-enabling technologies, such as AI in a broad sense, the rules of the reinvention game are changing once again. The system is just reinventing itself. Smarter systems will meet data-enhanced EDMs. Conversational Marketing and Commerce will boom – and the speed will rise to exponential growth.

Enabling technologies are seamlessly integrated into Intelligent Transformation, ranging from blockchain, IOT – you name it, and growing customer demands and learnings as illustrated in the EDM approach (customer, employees, people in general.) However, transformation is a continuous and never-ending change process.

Take China. It has been in transformation for more than 40 years, with intelligisation defined as an important layer, and tech as an important enabler, for the next decade. This is the state of transition as a constant. Understand Chinese long-term thinking through Alibaba’s 102 years journey.

… AND NOW YOUR ANSWER

As with all of our five dimensions, the guiding question at the beginning is easy to ask but needs time and energy to answer. So, take your time to browse through your mind and our magazine, and then return: What is your Big Transformational Idea?

Hint: it is very often a combination of Science and Art. Luck and Boldness.

Related: