#TyasDigitalProject #3

How important is leaderships support on digital transformation.

• The CMO vs. CIO: Digital transformation is largely led by the CMO (34%) not the CIO/CTO (19%).
• Some executives are beginning to own digital transformation efforts, and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) is most often at the helm (28%). As all companies increasingly become “technology companies,” the roles of the CIO and IT department are more important than ever — but true success in digital transformation is an enterprise-wide, cross-functional endeavor.

The above facts from Brian Solis brings us to discuss what I think is the most important aspect on digital transformation or any needs of change on an organisation in that matter. Without any force of leaderships there will never be any actions to start or evenly tough to start.

This is why I think it becomes the main important point. It is true that digital transformation is not just a change in technology adapted on the process of business but a change management itself. It should start from the top and fully supported by the leaders on the organisation through a shared work planned. Not only the support but are with you all the way. Establishing presence, sharing guidance, discuss directions, sharing insights and all the efforts we do are always understood or supported.

I started around early August 2012. The division of Digital and Social Media was under the department of Centralized Marketing and Communication or we call in short as CMC. Inside CMC there are other departments such as, brand management (that was divided into two parts since there are four pillars of social initiatives with ten brands to cover), and then there are PR division and Creative Division. The department was headed by a Marketing Director however much of the activities and directions was much influenced by Ibu Nenny Soemawinata as PSF’s Managing Director based on her rich experiences in the world of marketing and advertising. As time goes by, she also took the part of Marketing Director to fill in the vacancy on CMC department.

If you asked me who supported right from the start, to be frank I would have to give my thanks and appreciation to these two person.They are, Ibu Seskia A. Balfas as we call her Ibu Kiki, she is the HR Director and Bapak Sakto Wibisono as IT Director or you can also say CTO refer to Brian’s article. The collaborated initiative with the two department Human Resource and Information & Technology was established from the start.

I will always remember how fortunate to have the opportunity given so many directions and discussions of planning with Pak Sakto and his team. We have the same understanding that to introduce something new like digital and social media needs 2 points of perception needed :

1. The same understanding of digital and social media, and
2. A sense of togetherness in running it.

And both are not an easy thing to do on a organization with around 800 more or less personnel. We agreed together and through their support, Ibu Kiki and Bapak Sakto I was given a chance to speak up to the Board of Directors of PSF on their management meeting.

Yes, we did not waste any time at all. I have gotten the opportunity to present and explain about digital dan social media on the monthly management meeting. Generally, the management meeting are only attended by members of the Board of Directors and sometimes their senior management levels occasionally based on the needs or a topic to be discuss.

I was only given 30 minutes’ time. With a lot to share and explain, I need to choose what are the best material to bring. At that moment the understanding of why it is important to go digital was well established among the leaders, or else they wouldn’t hire me in the first place. I also understood that they must’ve already been share so many facts and data or research by agencies or some sort. So the next question to answer was how to do it.

Let’s come back to the statement “lack of expertise, literacy, and understanding of digital trends” as one of the key drivers on digital transformation. Although digital and social media is basically used and entrenched on our daily lives, to educate digital and social media on to a business organization has some stages to make. And on this opportunity I need to make an eye opening session to open up the minds of the decision makers, the top of the top.

It is also important to establish the understanding of what are the functions of digital and social media. And I felt that this understanding is essential and had not yet much being shared at that time.

I am not saying I am an expert on social media. But awareness is key. One’s level of understanding or expertise could help connect the dots between knowledge and strategic planning. Sometimes a little more knowledge is just enough to make a difference. Because that knowledge could open the minds and then trigger discussions towards the directions of a bigger plan. The problem of just seeing one point of view is lagging any potentials. Potentials of opportunities. IMHO.

Aside from my own experience, I also lucky to have a partner/husband that also share the same experience in digital and social media, in Indonesia, he is well known as an expert in digital community hence gave in a lot of discussions and input for me as we exchange opinions or thoughts.

We both agreed that during those times there are still many misconceptions and misunderstanding on what is social media and its functions, furthermore, how to manage it. It is also often many mistake happening to the people they trust in managing it. For example, the appointed agencies or the department of marketing itself on one’s company. I also need to establish that social media is not only a marketing tool.

Eventually, I brought two set of presentation decks with each titled, “How to manage social media” and “How to measure social media”.

These presentations help me to establish understandings with the board members.

An understanding that managing social media it is not JUST about managing the channels, like twitter, facebook, Instagram or youtube. It is about managing the discussions, managing the people talking the discussion, managing the relationship of the people sharing discussions, managing the collaboration being made after discussions, managing the negative or positive impact sentiment, managing the teamwork afterwards, the networking, managing ideas and others that grew and discussed naturally, organically. And that is the based strategy. It is the same or similar like managing a community.

I also share about why and how to manage based on the size of a community versus how to manage the depth of each opportunity discussion happening on social media on that meeting.

Whereas on social media measurements was a basic introductory about the terminology that usually are used such as conversion rate, impression and its differences in using it on each channel on social media. And then also a bit of quick explanation about CTR, SEM & SEO, CPC and CPM, to cover the just to know basis.

On that management meeting, as I recall it was on Senin, 1^st of October 2012. It was less than a month since I entered PSF on the 1^st week of September 2012. Ibu Nenny, a few times, helped to explain and guide the discussions. And that made me stunned and almost fainted because of the overjoy happening inside of me. Luckily, Ibu Nenny did know how hard my heart was beating at that time.

Ibu Nenny also explained the importance and how Bapak Putera Sampoerna wanted this foundation to have that moment of opportunity through digital and social media. Thus it was important to work together. At that moment I felt like a rock star. And I really feel that momentum was very important for me as I would very much agree with Brian Solis in the cmo artikel that “digital transformation is just as much about change management as it is about technology.” And Ibu Nenny has supported Digital and Social Media team all the way from  the start to the end.

So what was agreed on that management meeting? Not only that all board members have the same understanding and the same commitment, I am asked to prepare what is the next step and also meet with all brands to developments of each digital presence.

That through that one chance, continued my opportunity to present the next planning on digital dan social media management first stage and that happened on 21^st of January 2013, around 3 months after. Yeay !

Next, The Findings.