Introducing Our New Book: Technology is Not the Answer
Athenaeum21 is pleased to announce the publication of the book, Technology is Not the Answer: Why “Digital” is Not the Most Important Aspect of Your Digital Strategy by Athenaeum21 co-founders, Christine Madsen and Megan Hurst.
Digital transformation stems from having and implementing a successful digital strategy. But digital strategy can be an amorphous concept—it can mean different things to different people, and often looks different from organization to organization. Whether you’ve been tasked with implementing a digital strategy, or have identified that your organization needs help improving their digital services, you might be facing some common questions and challenges:
What is your strategy for supporting “digital” evolution and innovation in your organization?
How do you adapt to and benefit from change and new ideas and technologies?
How do you get an organization that is averse to change to embrace new ways of working?
Where do you even begin?
This book will guide you through the six key elements of a successful digital strategy.
Available soon in digital and paperback formats. Contact us to request a copy.
We define “digital strategy” as “a plan of action for the adoption of institutional processes and practices to support and/or transform the organisation and culture to effectively and competitively function in an increasingly digital world.” In 1975, a Kodak employee built the first digital camera. In 2012, Kodak filed for bankruptcy, having had its photographic film business disrupted by competitors invested heavily in promoting the “new” technology of digital photography. Athenaeum21 was commissioned to conduct an environmental scan of how and why digital strategies in a range of organisations succeed, and also why they “fail.” The answers are complex, but there are important trends worth understanding. Read Technology is Not the Answer to learn how and why people, culture, leadership, and organisational alignment are arguably more important for digital transformation than data and technology.
The foundational research for Technology is Not the Answer, was originally conducted in 2018 by Megan Hurst and Christine Madsen of Athenaeum21 Consulting, and commissioned by Université Concordia in Montréal, Quebec, Canada in support of the University’s digital strategy. Their research was updated in the Spring and Summer of 2020 for the book. We thank Guylaine Beaudry, Paul Fournier, and the Concordia University Digital Strategy Committee for their permission to share the original 2018 research with a wider audience. We are grateful for the preceding work on the topics presented in the book by the many individuals and organizations cited. We especially wish to thank the following individuals who were so generous in sharing their time, expertise and insights on digital transformation with us: Monica Bulger, Tore Burheim, Michael Edson, Daniel Greenstein, Melissa Highton, Gerald Kane, Sarah Knight, and Jill Leafstedt. Special thanks to Abby Riviello for her assistance in editing the book.
Technology is Not the Answer is coming soon in digital and paperback formats. Contact us to request your copy.
Download a digital copy here.