Digital Revolution – Coming-Of-Age!

Imagine being stranded on an island with no internet or access to the world. Not a bad thought one might say (However most of us might miss Instagramming #nowifizone). Now, imagine a day at work with no Internet. Thoughts? Day wasted? Productivity lost? I am sure most of us would agree.

This is the Digital Age, where our lives are literally ruled by “the push of a button”. Though the Digital Revolution has made our so-called-busy personal and professional lives convenient, we are constantly challenged with keeping up with this fast-paced complex network of an environment.

Digital Transformation or Digital Disruption continues to drastically change the way we communicate and perform our day to day activities at work. Hence, in order stay ahead of competition, companies and leaders are left with no choice but to embrace this transformation. We can take the first step towards acceptance by understanding the opportunities and challenges surfaced by the Digital Revolution.

For example, when the ATM was first introduced, there was massive push back. Most of us did not trust machines with our money. Consequentially, many jobs were lost.  However, till date the ATM is probably one of the best revolutions in technology. Importantly, new jobs were created and withdrawing money has never been more convenient.

Going into the new world where automation and Robotics are running most of our processes at work and home, it is even more critical to identify and develop relevant skills to stay future-ready and ahead of the game. Having an open mindset and embracing various opportunities for training and upskilling remains key to keeping in tide with the Digital Age.

Hence, it’s fitting that last year’s U Future Leaders’ Summit 2016 organised by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) focuses on Digital Transformation. The intention is to prepare the people of Singapore for this revolution where insights gleaned from the dynamic panels of speaker will hopefully help to propel professions in the right direction.

I was given the opportunity to catch up with one of the speakers, Marc McAllister, current Vice President and Managing Director at Harley-Davidson Motor Company and got to ask him a couple of interesting questions. He couldn’t agree more with the benefits of Digital Revolution and shared his insights with regards to his challenges and growth over the past 21 years at Harley-Davidson.

Here goes:

1.    Me: From your humble beginnings as a production Engineer to now a VP and MD at Harley-Davidson, can you share a little about your journey to date?

Marc McAllister: Well, I never planned it too closely, I was following my interests and leveraging my transferable skills from one role to the next.  Although I have spent most my career at Harley-Davidson, it feels like I have worked for three or four companies, as I have been in a variety of roles ranging from product development, supply chain management to global logistics and sales across three continents (U.S. Europe and Asia). With each move, I built on my prior experiences, and deeply enjoy the cultural and business challenges.

2.    Me: Most people look for change. What motivated you to stay loyal to Harley-Davison for 21 years?

Marc McAllister: I was fortunate that Harley-Davidson presented new and exciting challenges with each role, which was what I was looking for.  Every role I took on was an incredible learning and development experience for me, so I was able to change and grow with each opportunity. Harley-Davidson is a great company, with fantastic customers and products and I enjoy being a part of it. 

3.    Me: Since you have been at Harley-Davidson for 21 years, can you help us with specific examples of how the organisation/your department has adapted to the new digital age?

Marc McAllister: We are a customer-focused organisation and the digital age has opened a plethora of ways to interact with our customers around the world.  For example, with millions of Facebook followers here in Asia, social media has challenged us to think more globally, yet communicate and engage with our customers locally in new ways.

4.    Me: As VP and MD level at Harley-Davidson, what are the most critical challenges you face in managing teams located globally? How do you enhance engagement and productivity with virtual teams?

Marc McAllister: Communication, communication and even more communication is the key to keeping global teams aligned and focused on the work at hand.  Global teams lack the informal conversations that happen daily in an office environment, and the only way to keep everyone on the same page is to over-clarify everything.  Smartphones have helped us all adapt to this a lot better than earlier in my career, but management by text/Whatsapp obviously has its limitations, and face-to-face conversations cannot be underdone.

5.    Me: As a future leader, what is your take on digital revolution?

Marc McAllister: The digital revolution is our new reality and it is probably going to get even more so. We must change the way we view information and how we share it, along with the who/how/where aspects of the work that is being done, so that it is aligned and timely.  The benefits of the digital world are amazing and exciting when we leverage it well, plus the productivity that it adds to a global company is fantastic, which all translates into benefits for the customer.

6.    Me: Where do you see Harley-Davidson from a digital standpoint 5 years ahead?

Marc McAllister: We are a lifestyle company that delivers outstanding experiences around the world every day.  So we have to be able to communicate with our customers and employees in engaging ways, which means our digital journey will be dictated by our customers and teams all over the world. Harley-Davidson must keep pace and continue to deliver great experiences and engaging products through all our channels to maintain our relevance.

Find out more information about the U Future Leaders Summit 2016 here.