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Purpose should always be related to service-seeking to serve the greater good and generate positive change . Excellence , for me , is about striving for continuous improvement and always doing better .
Both components are equally important . Encouraging your team to strive for excellence means learning continuously , challenging the status quo and constantly innovating . Having a greater purpose makes it easier to work together as a team and collaborate , since individual egos come second to prioritizing the best ideas and the overall team ’ s success . Furthermore , a clear purpose can empower a team with the determination to problem solve and keep going when things seem tough .
What do you think is the current hot technology talking point ?
Most organizations , across all industries , are talking about Digital Transformation . Companies today are realizing that Digital Transformation results in a better customer experience , revenue growth and greater customer loyalty . Most enterprises also know that they need a technology platform to achieve holistic Digital Transformation and reap the benefits . The real challenge is determining which technology platform is the right choice for them , since Digital Transformation is a complex endeavor , especially in today ’ s dynamic environment .
How do you deal with stress and unwind outside the office ?
Unwinding is the key to rejuvenation , especially over the past year and a half . For me , biking and playing badminton with my family and neighbors , as well as just quality family time , has helped me recharge physically and mentally .
However , I also have found that sometimes being ‘ in the zone ’ and working toward a larger ‘ purpose ’ – for example , working on the PPP project during the pandemic – can be a surprising stressbuster . I ’ m by no means encouraging constantly working , but if I look at myself , I can honestly say I don ’ t remember ever working harder and still being less stressed than during the PPP project . Perhaps because I was motivated by a sense of purpose and the significant impact we were having on people ’ s livelihoods .
If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?
I think here I will err on the side of changing things I did not do , instead of things I did do . It ’ s not easy to find the right product-market fit , and when we did , the most important thing we should have done was to not hold back , waiting to improve things and iron out specifics .
Instead , we should have stepped on the gas and accelerated our entire go to market by 10x .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
There ’ s no question in my mind that right now the main area of investment , in my industry and across the board , is Digital Transformation . Enterprises around the world , are looking to accelerate their digital initiatives and stay relevant in the digital age . In the same vein , enterprises are looking to invest in low code and content management tools in order to actually realize their Digital Transformation goals .
What are the region-specific challenges when implementing new technologies in North America ?
Newgen has had to tackle this question head-on as we have implemented several new technology initiatives in North America . There are a number of big challenges and questions to ask when trying to deploy new technologies , including :
• Do we take a ‘ big bang ’ or a phased approach ?
• Can our client handle or execute multiple digital projects simultaneously , or should we go one- by-one ?
• How can we help clients seamlessly shift away from their legacy products , while managing access to old data and information ?
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
Unequivocally the biggest change I ’ ve seen in my role over the last year has been the shift to remote working . At the beginning of the pandemic , Newgen was extremely quick to adapt to the situation-enabling Newgenites around the globe to work from home almost immediately . For me , in a largely customer and partner-facing role , the biggest shift has been learning how to continue nurturing my relationships with our clients , partners and employees in a remote world . And I ’ m happy to say that I , and the entire Newgen team , has been overwhelmingly successful in that endeavor . Over the next 12 months , I foresee even more changes in the form of learning to balance the remote working world with interacting in-person . I believe most businesses , including Newgen , will take a hybrid approach to engaging with stakeholders from now on , and so it will be an interesting challenge to adapt to a hybrid environment as a manager and business leader . p
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