Making the Leap to Next Gen Tech

LATEST THINKING

The high tech industry has an image that's hard to live up to: brash, bold, disruptive, innovative. The reality: today's disrupters are often tomorrow's disrupted. What sets next-generation high tech companies apart?

Successful companies excel across three interconnected components or systems:

An operating system that empowers people to support the vision and strategy
An innovation system to drive future growth
An underpinning system of culture and values that ensures employees can continuously adapt to, and find advantage from, rapid change

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KEY FINDINGS

Accenture Strategy research and experience have found that most companies struggle to simultaneously master their operating, innovation and culture systems. High tech leaders think about these systems holistically, in an integrated way:

KEEPING THE OPERATING SYSTEM RELEVANT

In rock climbing, experts know how to make a
“dyno-move”—leaping from one part of the rock face to another. Corporate leaders need similar courage when it comes to new operating systems and business models.

INNOVATION: DRIVING THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD

Innovation is a hallmark of high tech. Yet 76 percent of executives surveyed agree organizations are under extreme competitive pressure to extend innovation into their workforce and corporate structure.

FOSTERING A VALUES-LED CULTURE

One way that successful companies create an effective culture is by grounding all planning and action in a mission that is clear and formative. In addition, an effective culture also expects results.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Begin by understanding how the three systems—operating, innovation and culture—are working in your company, both separately and in relationship to each other. CEOs and other leaders will play multiple roles as they work to harmonize the systems:

Thinker: Develop pragmatic and visionary use cases to influence change, using the three systems.

Designer: Create an operating system capable of long-term agility—including after your leadership tenure.

Mechanic: Innovation requires fine-tuning the system to generate power over time.

Coach: Expect excellence. Involve your employees in creating a culture that drives the right mindsets and behaviors to support your vision.

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