Tag: business

CIOs as Change Agents and Educators

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ Leave a comment

AI is no longer simply a technology agenda. It is reshaping how technology leaders show up — not as operators behind the scenes, but as educators, strategists, and catalysts for enterprise-wide change. This shift was on full display at the Metis Strategy Summit in New York, where I joined fellow CIOs for a conversation about how AI is redefining our role. What became clear is that the CIO is now expected to help the organization learn, adapt, and navigate ambiguity, all while shaping business strategy at the highest level.

Mojgan Lefebvre Chief Technology and Operations Officer of Travelers shared something that resonated deeply: the biggest barrier to AI adoption wasn’t technology, it was mindset. At Travelers, AI is no longer treated as a technology strategy; it is the business strategy. Once their leadership team fully embraced that perspective, acceleration followed. Their platform, TRAVAI, didn’t become successful because it was a tool; it became successful because leaders believed in it. She reminded us that readiness for AI begins with alignment at the top, and belief unlocks behavior.

Pawan Verma Chief Data and Information Officer of Cencora added a perspective that every CIO should internalize. He said our role now includes separating hype from truth — helping leaders distinguish between what is exciting and what is truly transformational. In his world, experimentation is encouraged, but experimentation for its own sake is not the goal. AI initiatives must tie back to clear business outcomes, measurable impact, and sustained value. His discipline around ensuring that enthusiasm never outweighs accountability was a grounding reminder that real transformation requires focus.

Listening to them, I reflected on where we are at Breakthru. I am early in my journey as CIO, but we are already building the foundation for AI — we want it to be an enabler to transformation. Early in my tenure, we held an AI summit with our executive team to build understanding, shared language, and curiosity. But AI literacy cannot stop at the C-suite. Jennifer Charters, CIO of Lincoln Financial, shared a framework introduced by Professor Ethan Mollick at Wharton: Leadership, Lab, Crowd. You begin with leadership, move into experimentation, and ultimately scale to the entire organization. That is exactly the path we are following. We started with leadership. We are now deep in the lab — testing and learning through tangible use cases. And soon, we will turn toward the crowd by launching a broader AI education program in partnership with our learning and development teams, because AI capability is only as strong as the workforce that can wield it.

Steven Norton our panel moderator closed with a personal question: what leadership muscle are you building right now? I reflected with my answer centered around purpose. In a time when AI can automate, accelerate, and optimize almost anything, purpose anchors us. Richard Leider says that purpose is not about what we do, but who we bring to what we do. That distinction matters. In the age of AI, my focus is not only on enabling transformation, but on ensuring we bring people with us. I think about my teams, my peers, my community — and my children who will inherit the world we are shaping.

AI is the most significant transformation driver of our time. And because of that, I think deeply about leadership that concerns itself not only with deploying AI, but with building the capability to educate on AI at scale in our society. Technology may accelerate progress, but leadership determines whether others are empowered to move forward with it. Our legacy will not be measured by how much AI we introduced — but by how many people we helped bring along.

Designing for the Future: Building Technology Architecture for the Age of AI

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ Leave a comment

Across industries, leaders are facing a perfect storm: softening markets, mounting technology debt, and unprecedented pressure to scale with AI. Gartner estimates that by 2027, more than 70% of enterprises will adopt AI in at least one business domain, yet fewer than half will achieve measurable business outcomes without modernizing their foundations.

For many organizations, the reality is stark: technology landscapes remain fragmented, low in data maturity, and limited in scalability. This creates barriers to growth, stifles innovation, and leaves gaps in automation and security.

The Opportunity

Yet, moments of pressure also create opportunity. We are at a true inflection point—a convergence of technology advancement, business need, and the acceleration of AI.

For CIOs and business leaders, this moment calls for a deliberate shift: building integrated, intelligent, and scalable enterprise architecture.

The AI Flywheel

Traditional enterprise architecture often emphasizes layers, roadmaps, and governance. While these are essential, they can feel cumbersome in today’s world of constant change. The AI Flywheel reframes architecture as a dynamic, reinforcing system—where applications, data, and AI continuously accelerate one another.

Instead of a top-down blueprint, the flywheel emphasizes motion, momentum, and compounding value. A powerful way to think about this transformation is through the lens of the AI Flywheel.

  • At the base are applications (Apps)—the systems and platforms that run the business, from ERP to CRM, Supply Chain and Human Capital systems. These generate the transactions and interactions that fuel the enterprise.
  • At the center is data—the connective tissue that transforms raw transactions into insights. When properly governed, integrated, and matured, data becomes the engine of enterprise intelligence.
  • At the top sits Business AI—the layer that turns applications and data beyond predictive models and task automation, agentic AI systems reason, plan, and act with a degree of autonomy.

As the flywheel turns, each layer reinforces the others: modern applications create higher-quality data, which in turn powers more advanced AI use cases. Those AI insights then feed back into the apps, driving efficiency, better decisions, and continuous innovation.

While the AI Flywheel offers a powerful framework, it’s important to recognize that the layers themselves—applications, data, and AI—are still evolving rapidly. AI architectures, in particular, are far from settled, with breakthroughs in agentic systems, reasoning models, and orchestration frameworks emerging almost monthly. This uncertainty makes it critical for enterprise architecture to remain modular and flexible, allowing organizations to adapt as the AI stack matures. By designing for adaptability rather than permanence, enterprises ensure they can integrate new capabilities, swap out components, and scale with the technology’s trajectory—without being locked into outdated choices.

When designed intentionally, the AI Flywheel creates a self-reinforcing cycle of optionality, growth and capability.

From Fragmented to Future-Ready

This shift mirrors what many industries are grappling with:

  • From fragmented → to integrated
  • From reactive → to intelligent
  • From rigid → to scalable

According to McKinsey, companies that modernize their tech foundations before scaling AI achieve 30–50% faster adoption rates and significantly higher returns on digital investments. The implication is clear: AI maturity is only possible on modern foundations.

One of the key learnings from transformation programs is that this work requires co-leadership between IT and the business. Enterprise architecture is not just an IT blueprint—it is a business design challenge. When both sides co-create the future, organizations move faster, align stronger, and unlock more value. For leaders, the critical questions to ask are:

  • How can we architect the AI layer effectively on top of the enterprise stack?
  • What lessons can we draw from modernization journeys in other industries?
  • How do we balance speed of innovation with long-term resilience?

We stand at a crossroads where business necessity and technological possibility converge. The organizations that act now—investing in integrated, intelligent, and scalable technology—will be the ones best positioned to thrive in the age of AI. The call to action is clear: be future-ready by design—and set the AI Flywheel in motion.

SAP Sapphire 2025 Reflection: The Suite Strikes Back: SAP’s Strategic Bet on Unified Platforms

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ Leave a comment

After more than five years, I had the opportunity to attend SAP Sapphire this week in Orlando. Coming back to this event—especially as our organization embarks on our own S/4HANA program—was both grounding and forward-looking. It reminded me how much the enterprise technology landscape has evolved, and how some foundational ideas are now coming full circle.

In the early 2000s, SAP thrived by convincing enterprises to adopt a unified suite—the SAP Business Suite—over fragmented, siloed systems. That strategy worked. Standardized processes, enterprise-wide data, and tight integration delivered measurable business value. CEMEX, the global building materials company where I spent 15 years leading SAP implementations, was an early beneficiary of this approach.

But as cloud and data integration technologies matured and modular architecture principles took hold, enterprises shifted toward best-of-breed stacks—choosing specialized solutions that delivered depth and agility in specific domains.

Fast forward to 2025: SAP is making a bold attempt to flip the script again—this time driven by the imperative to enable enterprise-wide AI.

SAP executives, led by CEO Christian Klein, told IT and business leaders attending this year’s SAP Sapphire event that by tapping into SAP’s “flywheel” combination of the broadest suite of enterprise apps, context-aware data, and world-class Business AI, they can conquer uncertainty.1

This year’s Sapphire centered around SAP’s renewed strategy of “Best-of-Breed as a Suite.” Powered by an enhanced cloud ERP offering and underpinned by generative AI and semantic data models, SAP is positioning its platform as the most viable foundation for AI at scale. The rationale is clear: AI thrives on context, and context requires clean, connected, and harmonized data—something fragmented tools often fail to deliver.

Christian Klein’s keynote highlighted this shift, along with key announcements around Joule (SAP’s AI copilot), new verticalized application packages, and continued investment in the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). SAP is no longer just modernizing its suite—it’s reimagining it to be smarter, modular, and cloud-native.

Notably, the acquisitions of Signavio and LeanIX are becoming more strategically integrated, giving SAP a business process and architecture knowledge base that supports AI-powered micro-transformations. This reflects a shift from monolithic implementations to intelligent, data-informed process optimization at scale.

Still, one critical question remains: Can any vendor truly deliver both “best of breed as a suite” without significant compromise?

Today’s enterprise buyers are used to domain specific best-in-class capabilities—Salesforce for CRM, Coupa for procurement, o9 for Integrated Business Planning, Workday for HR, Snowflake for business data-lake house. The bar is high. SAP of course dominates the ERP landscape, having “SAP customers represent 40% of global economy”. SAP and others must prove they can not only promise seamless integration, but deliver comparable (or superior) functionality across domains—with acceptable trade-offs.

The pressure is on SAP to show that its vision is more than cohesive—it must be compelling both at the edge and at the core.

For organizations like ours in a consumer packaged and distribution businesses, understanding the direction of major platform players is critical to architecting a future-ready enterprise. I believe data will be the differentiator—and our architecture decisions must support an AI-powered future. SAP’s platform-centric strategy resonates with that belief, but success will depend on execution.

Final thought: The platform wars are heating up again—but this time, the battleground is AI enablement and the data fabric that powers it. SAP has made its move. Others are on the same accelerated solutions evolution journey. Let’s see who leads. Let’s see who wins.

1-https://news.sap.com/2025/05/sap-sapphire-companies-facing-big-challenges-we-are-on-your-side/

AI Literacy: Choosing Wisdom Over the Frenzy

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ Leave a comment

As artificial intelligence advances faster than most organizations can adapt, a critical question emerges:

Are we engineering a culture of wisdom—or a frenzy?

This isn’t just a philosophical question. It’s a strategic imperative for every organization navigating the future of work.

Today’s AI systems can generate massive volumes of content, automate complex decisions, and shape narratives in real time. But in our rush to adopt these tools, we often skip a critical step: ensuring our teams—our people—understand what’s under the hood.

The result? Organizations that are technologically advanced but intellectually fragile, where decisions are accelerated but not grounded in understanding.

Why AI Literacy Matters Now

AI literacy isn’t about turning every employee into a data scientist. It’s about empowering your workforce to ask better questions, understand how AI tools work (and fail), and make decisions aligned with your organization’s mission and values.

It’s the difference between:

  • Generating tons of content (noise) vs. exploring customer sentiment with nuance
  • Automating blindly vs. applying ethical, human judgment
  • Following outputs vs. augmenting with AI and challenging AI with context and critical thinking

The Cost of Illiteracy

Without AI literacy, organizations fall into the trap of frenzy and hype. Quick outputs are celebrated. Shallow insights are mistaken for depth. Use cases multiply but often fail to scale. And AI becomes a black box of risk.

Worse, employees may feel displaced instead of empowered, unsure how to contribute in a workplace increasingly shaped by tools they don’t fully understand.

Building a Culture of Wisdom

Investing in AI literacy is an investment in resilience and long-term thinking. It means:

  • Creating space for education, experimentation, and critical dialogue
  • Equipping teams to interrogate bias, interpret results, and understand limitations
  • Elevating leaders who connect AI use to strategic goals—not just short-term wins

It’s not just about doing things faster with AI—it’s about helping your people do things better.

Final Thought

AI will shape the future of every business. But the real differentiator won’t be who has the most advanced model—it will be who has the most AI-literate culture.

Because in a world of accelerating technology, wisdom will be your greatest competitive advantage.

Mark Anthony Group AI Day, Vancouver 2024

Inspiring the Next Generation: Lessons from Samar, Philippines to the Global Stage

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ Leave a comment

It was a privilege to speak at the Samar College symposium in my hometown of Catbalogan, Philippines, where I shared insights from my journey, perspectives on the future of work, and reflections on leadership in an era of rapid technological change. As someone who proudly traces my roots to Samar College, where I began my early education, this opportunity to give back to the community that shaped me was deeply meaningful. Below is a summary of my talk, which I hope will inspire those who dream of breaking barriers and leaving their mark on the world.

Breaking Barriers: My Journey from Samar to Leading Global Technology Transformations

Growing up in Samar taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of community. Helping at my parents’ store instilled hard work, humility, malasakit (genuine care), and perseverance—principles that shaped my leadership style and aspirations.

My career path to becoming a global CIO was anything but straightforward. An unexpected turn led me to technology, proving that sometimes careers choose you—and those paths often bring the most fulfillment. Early in my journey, I learned the value of embracing change and stepping out of my comfort zone, whether it meant moving to a new city, taking on unfamiliar roles, or navigating uncharted technological landscapes. These steps, though challenging, defined my career.

I highlighted key moments, such as transitioning from leading local teams to managing global operations. Beyond technical expertise, success required connecting with people from diverse backgrounds—a skill rooted in the relationship-building and empathy I developed in Samar.

I emphasized that careers are not ladders but lattices. Growth isn’t just about climbing upward but also about lateral moves that broaden perspectives and skills. Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in technology, where careers rarely follow a linear path.

The Future of Work: AI, Automation, and Human Potential

I explored the exciting and sometimes daunting future of work, drawing on Gartner Maverick research. I invited the audience to envision 2045—a world shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and groundbreaking innovations. We discussed the rise of generative AI and its transformative impact, bringing AI to the mainstream.

The future will see remarkable advancements in biotechnology, renewable energy, and space exploration, alongside workforce changes. Routine jobs will be automated, and entirely new roles will emerge, such as “cyber-physical systems architects” and “AI ethicists.” By 2045, collaboration with AI agents, humanoid robots, and digital humans may be commonplace.

Thriving in this future requires adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence. While technical skills remain essential, uniquely human qualities—empathy, collaboration, and critical thinking—will set individuals apart. I encouraged students to embrace digital literacy and see AI as a partner to augment human potential, solving complex problems and amplifying their impact.

Leadership in the Age of AI: Balancing Technology and Human-Centered Leadership

Leadership in the AI era demands balancing technological innovation with a people-first approach. Effective leaders today require empathy, ethics, and a commitment to building trust. Technology should empower people, not replace them. For example, in my role as a global CIO, AI has streamlined processes and uncovered insights, enabling teams to focus on creative, higher-value work.

I discussed future-ready leadership behaviors critical for the AI era:

  • Humble: Embracing feedback and acknowledging others’ expertise.
  • Adaptable: Accepting change as constant and adjusting based on new information.
  • Visionary: Inspiring others with a clear, forward-thinking vision while anticipating future opportunities and challenges..
  • Engaged: Staying curious and actively interacting with stakeholders and trends.

Purpose-driven leadership is increasingly vital as employees and stakeholders expect leaders to prioritize social impact, diversity, and sustainability. Inspired by frameworks like Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle and the Japanese concept of Ikigai, I shared a purpose reflection framework and urged students to discover their “why.” Leaders who understand their purpose inspire trust and create meaningful impact.

Key Takeaways and Reflections

I concluded my talk with the following key messages:

  • AI will revolutionize industries and redefine work and the human experience.
  • Your roots make you unique, grounding you in who you are and who you’re meant to be.
  • Purpose is the foundation of a meaningful life and career.
  • Thriving in the AI era requires a balance of smart and heart, blending technical expertise with human-centered values.
  • Discover your “why”, as understanding and leading with purpose inspires yourself and others.

Returning to Samar was a full-circle moment, reminding me that success isn’t just about individual achievements but also about giving back and inspiring others. I encouraged students to uplift their communities, no matter where their journeys take them.

Bright Future Ahead

During the Q&A, the audience’s focus on AI reflected its significance as a symbol of progress and optimism. Samar College, under the leadership of President Rhett Piczon, is well-positioned for growth, and I’m inspired by its transformation.

I hope my story encourages others to believe in their potential. The world is waiting for your ideas, talents, and leadership. As you step forward, remember: the values you learned in Samar will guide you, no matter how far you go. Thank you, Samar College, for the opportunity to connect with the next generation of leaders. Together, we can create a brighter future for our community and the world.

Reskilling for the AI Era: Thriving Amid Disruption

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ 1 Comment

“AI will be the most transformative technology of the 21st century. It will affect every industry and aspect of our lives.” — Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA

As 2025 draws near, employees are grappling with anxiety-inducing challenges on multiple fronts, with AI disruption being a prominent concern. The approach of a new year often brings reflection on what lies ahead, and for the third consecutive year, anxiety about AI’s disruptive potential feels even more pronounced. Yet, many have embraced a futurist mindset, envisioning a world where, by 2045, “50% of the population will have robots for household chores, avatars will gain real human status, and the average adult will have 12 hours of free time per day, up from 5 hours today,” according to Gartner Maverick research. Preparing for this future demands a shift in mindset—one that embraces new opportunities—and it all begins with reskilling.

The Reskilling Imperative

Today, the need for reskilling is paramount as a growing majority of workers recognize the disruptions AI advancements are bringing to their fields. Many are eager to reskill to stay competitive. For those of us in technical fields, this is not the first time we’ve faced the need to adapt. However, the pace and scale of today’s changes—and the resulting magnitude of disruption—are unprecedented. In the coming years, millions of workers will need to reskill to prepare for the complex societal and industrial transformations ahead. Major organizations like BCG, Infosys, Vodafone, CVS, SAP, and others are heavily investing in reskilling initiatives to navigate these changes effectively.

My Reskilling Journey

As someone who has worked in technology for over 25 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the necessity of reskilling to keep up with leaps in technology. When I studied computer science in the early 1990s, I learned assembly language programming, COBOL, and VAX computing architectures. By the time I graduated, object-oriented programming was in full swing, and the internet was transforming businesses in unprecedented ways.

Interestingly, almost none of the coding languages I learned in college applied directly to the real world. Shortly after graduating, I taught myself FoxPro, Visual Basic, SAP’s ABAP, .NET, and more.

Digital Natives and the Next Generation

What I quickly realized was that while much of what I learned in school became “obsolete,” my education gave me something far more valuable: the ability to understand computers, architectures, and their implications for business. This foundation enabled me to continually evolve and reskill throughout my career. My computer science background didn’t just make me tech-savvy; it equipped me with the mindset to adapt to technological leaps over the years.

By the time my twin boys were six, I introduced them to object-oriented programming using MIT’s Scratch. They soon discovered the code behind the objects and, by age 12, taught themselves languages like Lua (Roblox Studio) and attended camps for C++ and JavaScript. They even administer virtual servers for their friend groups to host games in Minecraft and Roblox!

While digital natives like them have a head start in terms of comfort with technology, I found they still needed encouragement to embrace AI and understand its importance. Growing up in a digital world provides familiarity, but reskilling to stay ahead of disruptive trends requires a deliberate mindset and proactive effort.

The Role of Companies in Reskilling

Reskilling is not just an individual challenge; it is also a critical priority for organizations. Companies must recognize that their competitiveness in the AI-driven economy depends on the skills of their workforce. I’ve been fortunate to be part of a company like Mark Anthony Group, which invests in AI literacy through initiatives like use case development, AI masterclasses, and AI Day events. We also partner with vendors who are on similar journeys to jointly develop AI capabilities.

Here are some ways companies can support reskilling:

  1. Invest in Training Programs: Organizations should offer tailored training initiatives, from basic AI literacy courses to advanced machine learning certifications. Partnering with platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or universities can make these resources widely accessible.
  2. Encourage Lifelong Learning: Cultivate a culture where continuous learning is celebrated and supported. Offer incentives like tuition reimbursements or paid time off for skill development.
  3. Provide Hands-On Opportunities: Employees need real-world projects to practice new skills. Companies should integrate AI and emerging technologies into workflows and encourage cross-functional collaboration.
  4. Lead with Empathy: Change can be intimidating. Organizations must ensure employees feel supported during transitions and clearly communicate the long-term benefits of reskilling.

Advice for Employees

Staying competitive in the age of AI requires taking ownership of your learning journey. Here are some tips for making the most of reskilling opportunities:

  1. Stay Curious and Open-Minded: Embrace change as inevitable. Cultivate curiosity about new technologies and their potential to enhance your work.
  2. Leverage Company Resources: Take full advantage of training programs, workshops, and certifications offered by your employer. Show initiative by seeking opportunities to apply new skills.
  3. Invest in Self-Learning: Use online platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Khan Academy, or Codecademy to learn independently. Many high-quality resources are free or affordable.
  4. Collaborate and Network: Work with colleagues knowledgeable in new technologies or join communities focused on AI and reskilling to exchange ideas and experiences.
  5. Focus on Transferable Skills: Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptability are timeless. Strengthen these alongside technical skills to ensure long-term career resilience.

Reskilling is more than a necessity in the AI-driven era—it is an opportunity to grow, innovate, and thrive. Companies and employees must work together to navigate these changes effectively. Organizations can empower their workforce with the right tools and resources, while employees must embrace the chance to evolve and future-proof their careers.

As I reflect on my reskilling journey, I see that adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn are the keys to success in times of disruption. Let us approach this era of change with optimism and a readiness to unlock its potential.

The Power of Career Lattices

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ 2 Comments

In 2007, I was nearing the end of my post-merger integration assignment in Germany when the Head of EMEA IT asked me to return to the Philippines for a temporary role: Interim Regional Director of IT Asia for six months. The Head of IT Asia was heading to Australia for a long-term assignment, and I was asked to fill the gap.

As is often the case with these types of assignments, one of two things usually happens: 1) you complete the assignment and return to your previous role, or 2) the assignment becomes permanent, leading to the career progression you’ve been aiming for. I was hoping for the second option, thinking about my career ladder and wanting to move upward.

My six-month assignment went well, and as it ended, I was eagerly looking for my next step. What came next, however, wasn’t what I had envisioned as the next rung on my ladder. I was offered a position in Mexico as a Process Analyst/Consultant at the company’s corporate headquarters. At that time, it didn’t feel like the upward career move I was hoping for.

But then, my mentor-manager gave me some advice that changed my perspective. He said, “Think of where you are now as the minor leagues. We’re bringing you to the majors here at corporate. You might start on the bench, but you’ll be in the big leagues.” That advice convinced me to take a leap of faith.

That move to Mexico was a pivotal moment—it eventually led me to the U.S., into a new industry in consumer packaged goods, and ultimately, to becoming a Chief Information Officer.

I learned one important lesson: careers aren’t ladders—they’re lattices. Sometimes the most valuable experiences come from stepping sideways, not upwards. The journey is not just about climbing up; it’s about moving across, learning, and growing in all directions. What happens when that vertical path isn’t what you want? When your skills or interests shift? The truth is, most careers, especially in technology, are far from linear. We need flexibility, the opportunity to move laterally, to take on different challenges, and to develop new perspectives. That’s the lattice!

In a world that’s evolving as quickly as ours—especially with advancements like AI—the most successful leaders will be those who embrace the lattice approach, blend technical expertise with leadership, and commit to lifelong learning.

A Complicated Way to Explain the Importance of a BRM Role in an IT Organization

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ 2 Comments

Don’t tell me I did not warn you. The only thing I can promise is that you’ll learn a thing or two from this one, so please read on.

I came across a predictive validity framework called the “Libby boxes”, popularized by Cornell Accounting Professor Robert Libby. This framework is used to examine the distinction between underlying constructs of strategic objectives and their proxy measures to illustrate causal models related to some objectives in an organization.  Another definition of “strategy” is as a hypothesis about the cause and effect of your objectives. Predictive validity allows you to measure and analyze how well the execution of your objective (cause) predicts your desired performance (effect).

Simple Business-IT Strategy

Now, to illustrate the importance of a Business Relationship Management (BRM) function in an Information Technology (IT) organization, let’s start by picking a Business-IT strategy to dissect. Let’s call it “Strategy A”.

Strategy A: “Create business value through better use of technology.”

Let’s start it simple and take an approach to illustrate cause and effect depict Strategy A using the model. We are going to be taking a very logical approach. The strategy here is— you believe that if you use technology better, you create business value. Let’s assume that technology is comprised of infrastructure and applications that enable the business or enterprise.

Simple Business-IT Strategy

Observe that Strategy A is too simple—or maybe exceedingly simple. Can we really say that if IT provides better technology, we create business value, in the form of profits or savings? Yes, no, maybe. How about this – it is because of better use of technology, we improve business processes of the company and therefore we create business value. In this predictive validity framework, the middle action is called, mediating variable. It stands between two variables and it is an effect of one variable and the cause to another. This brings us to iteration to our business-IT strategy. Let’s refer to this improved business-IT strategy as “Strategy B”.

Strategy B:  “Create value by improving business processes through better use of technology”.

Business-IT Strategy

So how do you interpret this strategy? As an IT organization, your goal is to provide the business with the technology, infrastructure and applications to enable efficient business processes. This will result to business value creation through optimized cost, profitability and strategic advantage. Whew! Follow all that so far?

I think this business-IT strategy works. If you run this, you have a good chance of successful outcomes. But your aim is not to be just good. Your aim is to be great. Your goal is to differentiate your IT department and to support your enterprise to be the best performing company in its industry or to be the best performing company (period!).

The Missing Component to be great

So there is a missing component to your strategy, a moderating component—a component that will have a multiplying effect from certain causes and effects coming out from the collective work that you do. In this predictive validity framework, it is called the moderating variable.  The moderating variable is a variable that determines how big an effect you get from a certain cause.

To illustrate, let’s say you want to improve your performance at playing basketball. By practicing basketball, doing drills and shooting, for sure it will improve your performance. This is a very simple causal model. You practice more and that, in effect, will improve your basketball performance. But think about this, is there a certain amount of practice that will allow you to be like Mike (Michael Jordan)? Most likely, no. Talent and perhaps physical capacities are the moderating variables here.  Sure, practice will improve your performance, but if you have a lot of talent, a little bit of practice goes a long way and will make you much better. If you don’t have that much talent, you’ll have to practice a lot to get just a little better. Talent in this case is a moderating variable.

Basketball Strategy

Now that you understand what a moderating variable is, let’s go back to our Business-IT strategy. Think about an organizational capability equivalent to talent that can potentially transition your IT organization from good to great—it is business relationship management (BRM).

Strategy with BRM

BRM in this case is a moderating variable. The BRM capabilities moderate the effect of improvement of business processes and enablement of new business capabilities on performance, making it bigger (due to converged business-IT strategy) or smaller (in cases where it is lacking). Improved business processes and enablement of new business capabilities doesn’t cause BRM capabilities, it just moderates the effect. How? BRMs (1) facilitate Business-Provider convergence, (2) ensure that use of Technology that drives maximize value and (3) facilitate productive and connections and mobilize business-IT projects and programs.

Value of BRM Role

 

For many years, IT organizations responsible for deploying technology systems to enable business capabilities have had one goal in mind – namely, to assure business-IT alignment. Today, however, as IT capabilities become more and more embedded in business capabilities, and given the pace of technological change and the pervasive nature of IT, alignment is no longer sufficient. The goal today, therefore, is “convergence”. This has given momentum to the growing emergence of the Business Relationship Management (BRM) role, which, according to the Business Relationship Management Institute (BRMI), is about “stimulating, surfacing and shaping business demand for a provider’s products and services, ensuring that the potential business value from those products and services is captured, optimized and communicated.”

Work-life Lesson 8: Trust

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ 1 Comment

in collaboration with Ira Fialkow and Ivy Remoreras

Building trust is vastly different from trying to establish who is right. It is about committing to, and working to achieve outcomes that people are willing to stand behind.

Never put yourself in a position that could lead others to question your character, your trustworthiness, or your integrity.

Think about jobs you have had or you currently have. When you trust the people you work with—your boss or the company leadership, for example—not only are you highly engaged but you also enjoy what you are doing; and you do everything you can to bring success to the organization. More importantly, when people trust each other, they take ownership of their environment and hold themselves and others accountable. On the other hand, when someone’s integrity, character or trustworthiness is put into question, the whole organization is negatively affected.

“Hearts and Minds” or “Renting Labor”—Why Trust Is Critical in a Healthy Organization

This lesson is about building trust, keeping trust and (occasionally) having to gain back trust. Trust is the groundwork of all relationships, especially of good functioning teams. It is critical for effective communication and employee engagement. It is a major factor of employee retention, and employee motivation and contributes to discretionary energy, which causes employees to go “above and beyond”. When trust exists in the workplace, everything else is easier to achieve. You can cultivate a culture in which people think performance, quality, and exceptional service—but there’s a big difference between these efforts resulting from the basis of trust; or from simple compliance. Results coming from a “trustworthy” organization resonate better with the market or with external entities. People want to patronize your products and do business with you if they trust you.

Once trust is broken, it’s said that it can never be regained. When this happens in the workplace, the relationship can take a very long time to mend. Productivity and efficiency is affected because the parties involved become guarded and suspect “hidden agendas”. However, honest mistakes will happen and these experiences also produce valuable lessons. Because trust is a core foundation value, never put yourself in a position that could lead other people to question your character, trustworthiness, or integrity. The process of building trust, character and relationship takes time, but can be destroyed in an instant.

In the workplace, there should be certain people we are able to trust without reservation: one of them is our manager. Managers build that trust by fulfilling accountability. This includes accountability to create a better and safer workplace; to have the best processes and tools to run the business and enjoy competitive advantage; and to expand opportunities for employees. We shouldn’t have to doubt the motivation behind managers’ decisions because there should be no motivation other than doing what is in the best interest of the company—based on company values and objectives.

However, in a workplace environment it is unavoidable that perceptions of unfair actions, inequities in various forms, and conflicts of interest may arise. In these situations, building trust is not easy. Successful trust-building in the work place hinges on three elements: clarity of purpose, open communication and a win-win attitude.

1. Clarity of purpose is represented by the company’s vision and purpose.

It is the structure of any organization. It is what keeps it moving forward with direction. It provides meaning to the day-to-day challenges. Building trust is vastly different from trying to establish who is right. It is about committing to, and working to achieve outcomes that people are willing to stand behind.

2. Open Communication is important in any relationship building.

It is also important in maintaining trust. How effective communication is in the work place is key. This is particularly important when implementing difficult decisions—for example, reorganizations, which potentially (and naturally) creates a certain level of distrust between leaders and employees. In order to address this distrust, leaders need to show their employees that the reorganization is for the good of the company (and its employees).

3. A win-win attitude approaches work as a collaborative endeavor, not a competitive one.

This attitude creates trust as both parties seek mutual benefits in interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude develops vital character traits and strengths such as integrity, trustworthiness and collaboration.

Work-life Lesson 8 Takeaways:

  • The best way to maintain trustworthiness is to keep away from breaking trust in the first place.
  • Successful trust-building in the work place hinges on three elements: clarity of purpose, open communication and a win-win attitude.
  • Building trust is vastly different from trying to establish who is right. It is about committing to, and working to achieve outcomes that people are willing to stand behind.

About the collaborators:

Ira Fialkow  is the SVP of Member Services at Peeriosity. Prior to this, Ira was EVP of Shared Services at CEMEX and Rinker Group (acquired by CEMEX is 2007) from 1990 through joining Peeriosity in October 2010. Rinker Group was the initial recipient of the Best Mature Shared Services Award in 2003. Ira lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and has been the champion of his fantasy football league in three of the past five years.

Ivy Remoreras is a marketing professional with eight years of extensive experience, particularly in product management, communications and promotions as a manager, university instructor and consultant. She believes in constant learning and has a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA). Having resided in Europe, Asia and North America, she speaks four languages.

Photo courtesy of Renjith Krishnan

Moving Tips from 10 Years of Relocation Madness

~ Glenn Remoreras ~ 12 Comments

“Relocation is stressful. You as a person change more than your address, regardless of how often you do this. You’ll begin to navigate the new culture, appreciate the new place, make new friends, find your comfort zone in your new office, and more. The hardest part is moving on and leaving it all behind.”

Would you believe it if I told you I have changed residences 10 times in the last 10 years? If you have experienced relocating, you know what it takes to move from one place to another. This relocation madness involved 4 countries in 3 continents. Just last year, our twin boys were born in South Florida and here we are, 11 months later, living in South Texas.

All the relocation is from the same company I have worked with for 13 years now. I am a pretty loyal soldier, don’t you think? I have allowed my superiors to move me where they need me. During the expansion years of the company, I was relocated because of post merger integration projects.  I have always been open to relocating, even though I know it is hard. The last one though, with the infant twins, was the hardest one so far. (So I hope this is the last move in a while.)

Does this make me a relocation expert? Of course! Nothing beats experience and going through a complicated process repeatedly in a short span of time. I am sure my wife is an expert at this too– even more than me. We have attended relocation and cultural training countless of times in different countries to prepare us for every transfer. She has been more engaged in the process because she is more hands-on with it. Usually, before we are relocated, I would have been travelling back and forth between home and the city we were moving to. I would have spent a lot of my time in the new place at work already and be familiar with the new city. In my wife’s case, she usually gets to be in the new city only when we are actually relocated.

Relocation Tips

Here are some things that I have learned in these 10-years of relocation madness that might help you, whether you are thinking of relocating or are in the process of doing so.

First of all — and I will be honest and straightforward here — relocation is stressful. You as a person change more than your address, regardless of how often you do this. You’ll begin to navigate the new culture, appreciate the new place, make new friends, find your comfort zone in your new office, and more. The hardest part is moving on and leaving it all behind. So before you decide to relocate, make sure you are really decided on doing it. Relocating is no easy task. You need to make your decision with your family (and friends) and weigh your options very well. You can liken this to preparing for a hike and you need to pack your first aid kit and safety equipment. So the first point in relocation is, pack your emotional first aid kit first.

Look-and-see visits are important. This is when you travel to the new place to give you an idea of the culture, people, neighborhood, and more.  In my case, often I did not get to use it because I was already familiar with the new place from frequent business trips. For your spouse, it could be a critical part of the process. It is just like when buying a car, you don’t just talk to a salesman before you make the decision. You test drive the car around the block.

Last but not the least, understand and take advantage of your relocation package (if you have one). It is not cheap to relocate. If your company is moving you, make sure your moving cost is covered. This will ease a lot of stress. Usually, company packages include a relocation bonus to cover incidental expenses of the move, a look-and-see visit, support in moving household goods, cultural training (especially when moving to another country) and assistance in finding your new home, etc. If you are doing this by yourself, be prepared financially. Research what you need, service providers (movers, real estate agents, banks,and the like) you need and how much it costs. Make sure you can afford it. You don’t want money issues to be an additional burden to an already emotionally stressful process.

(It’s been a while since my last post…now you know why, we just relocated again!)

Photo by Crafty Joe