The New book “IT Innovation” Conclusion: The Art of Possible - How to Shift from Transactional IT to Transformational IT

Within abundant information and emergent digital technologies, IT is a key component of holistic business mindset to reimagine “what is possible,” - unleashing business potentials and improving business efficiency, effectiveness and maturity. Compared to digital laggards, high-performing organizations we referred as digital masters, can manage two most invaluable assets in business well: People and information. Organizations across industries declare they are in the information management business, given this assertion, there is no limit to the value of information in our economy or better stated, in today’s digital business ecosystem. The art of possible to reinvent IT for the digital ready is to deliver the value of information in helping businesses grow, delight customers and doing more with innovation.
“The art of possible” from the customer’s lens: Ultimately IT needs to discuss with customers about “what’s possible” not just “what do you want.” Digital is the age of customers. The art of possible is not about taking orders only, don’t just deliver what the business ask for, but about knowing the better way to do things, be able to provide the “best or most innovative solution” for the businesses’ requirement, offering added value and feature insight based on systemtem understanding, that the business might not even have thought of. This requires building a trustworthy partnership with the business to deliver tailored customer-centric solution.
“The art of possible” is that it involves new ways of bringing together ideas and resources to create something novel: Digital is the age of options, it provides the opportunity to think the new way to do things, so it forces IT leaders to be proactive and get really creative on how they architect and implement changes, to ensure IT is strategically positioned to be ahead of where the business is moving new. To digitize and innovate IT, CIOs should look to businesses outside their industry to spur “out-of-the-box thinking” and inspire dot-connecting innovation. If the art of innovation is to connect unusual dots and reach the “Eureka moment,” and then the science of innovation is to manage innovation life cycle and execute in a systematic manner that provides sustained competitive advantage.
“The art of Possible” can be achieved via striking the balance of stability and growth: In order to make a solid digital transformation, there are a lot of seemly paradoxical, but indeed coherent elements in running high-effective IT today. Being hybrid means to apply “balance” as a management philosophy, take the disciplinary approach for balancing stability and agility; standardization and innovation; management and governance; centralizing and decentralizing IT, leading from the front and running a back office IT. IT needs to have the right mix of innovation portfolio in order to achieve both incremental progress and breakthrough business or product transformation.  The art of possible is achieved via building innovation capabilities because breakthroughs and transformational innovations are not something every business can accomplish, you have to systematically develop and sharpen those abilities which can not be built overnight.
Exceptional IT leadership is key to reimagine IT as an innovation hub to achieve the art of possible. The challenge to reinvent IT for the digital age is having a harmonized vision about overall IT management philosophy, capability, structure, and maturity in a digital organization, and develop the best and best practices in running highly innovative IT, with ultimate goals to bring high-performing business results and long-term prosperity. Follow us at: @Pearl_Zhu