Why Is It Still Difficult for IT to Drive Digital Projects Even with Business Thinking?

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A common mistake made by tech professionals in corporate settings is a "technology-first" mindset. Those with this perspective focus solely on the latest and most advanced technologies, eager to implement them within their company. They operate under the stubborn belief that adopting cutting-edge technology will automatically yield transformative results—without evaluating whether the return on investment (ROI) justifies the costs, be they financial, temporal, effort-related, or opportunity-related, or whether it truly delivers business value. This "technology-first" approach is a typical blind spot for many technical staff and is often a reason behind the dismissal of CTOs: after significant technology investments, little to no business value is demonstrated. No company wants to spend heavily without seeing tangible business outcomes. Therefore, for any IT solution to be worthwhile, it must deliver clear business value—technology is merely a tool to achieve that end.

Many IT professionals are puzzled: even when they try to think from a business perspective and offer solutions aligned with business needs, stakeholders remain unsatisfied. Despite moving beyond a purely technology-driven mindset, they still struggle to achieve the expected success with business units. This represents a major hurdle many corporate IT teams face after overcoming "technology-first" thinking. Reality is often more complex than textbook cases.

The reason is that many IT practitioners have only mastered what can be called Business Thinking 1.0 and have yet to develop Business Thinking 2.0. In version 1.0, the focus is on isolated pain points within a specific department or a particular issue, and efforts are made to address that specific matter. The limitation of this approach is its narrow perspective: it sees the trees but not the forest. Understanding this shortcoming clarifies what Business Thinking 2.0 requires: the ability to grasp the bigger picture and develop a holistic view.

What truly makes it challenging for IT professionals in traditional enterprises to cultivate Business Thinking 2.0 is the relatively low positioning and limited influence of the IT department within the organizational ecosystem. This leads to information gaps, cognitive disparities, and differences in perspective. Since the IT department is often excluded from discussions involving true business disclosures, pain point analyses, and strategic decision-making, IT staff rarely get the opportunity to build a comprehensive understanding of the company’s business landscape. Without such exposure, their business thinking remains stuck at version 1.0—unable to evolve to the next level.

1. It is essential to shift one’s mindset from local to holistic business thinking

Local business thinking is like holding a hammer and seeing every problem as a nail that needs to be struck immediately. Holistic business thinking, on the other hand, means that even with a hammer in hand, one should pause and reflect when encountering a nail: Does this nail really need to be hammered? Is it necessary to strike it? Do key stakeholders want it hammered? Could hammering it cause unintended damage? What would be the consequences of striking it inaccurately? If something goes wrong, can it be fixed? How significant is the impact of not hammering it on the overall structure? Why has this nail been left untouched for so long? Why has no one else dealt with it?

Indeed, guided by holistic business thinking, the number of aspects to consider in any situation increases significantly. This requires substantial depth of thought and practical experience as a foundation; otherwise, it is difficult to take everything into account. Of course, even after developing a holistic business mindset, some challenges may remain unsolvable. One such challenge is the inherent information gap faced by IT departments, which makes it difficult to access a comprehensive view of business-side information. So what can be done? That leads us to the next step.

2. It is essential to develop the ability to reduce information gaps under constraints

If business leaders are unwilling to share critical information voluntarily, what should IT professionals do? In such situations, they can learn from sales strategies: how to turn unfamiliar prospects into regular clients, then paying customers, and finally loyal supporters. A key task in this process is to gather valuable insights from clients through various methods, continuously narrowing the information gap. This involves understanding their needs, expectations, bottom lines, internal dynamics, and more. Only by knowing both their own position and the client’s can they successfully close a deal.

Sales is a sophisticated discipline—the specific techniques for extracting crucial information could fill books. Here, we can summarize the core approach: build strong relationships with various business colleagues, establish mutual trust, and gather fragmented yet critical information from different sources. Then, piece these fragments together like a puzzle to form a holistic view of the business. To achieve this, IT staff should regularly interact with colleagues at all levels across departments. They ought to create opportunities for casual conversations, coffee meetings, and shared meals.

The stronger the relationships, the more willing people become to share key business insights. Over time, a comprehensive understanding of the business can be built gradually. For many in IT, this type of social engagement can be challenging, as they often prefer to avoid highly interpersonal, goal-oriented interactions. Whether someone is willing to step out of their comfort zone depends ultimately on their sense of professional purpose.

In many cases, outcomes do not align with personal intentions. Even if you painstakingly gather extensive internal information, significantly reduce knowledge gaps, and develop a holistic business perspective, the result may remain unchanged. But at least you will understand how you fell short. Achieving any goal requires the right timing, conditions, and collaboration. Do your very best—and acknowledge the role of fate.

In conclusion, the journey from a technology-centric mindset to truly effective business-driven IT leadership is neither straightforward nor guaranteed. It requires a fundamental shift from isolated, reactive problem-solving to systems thinking and strategic relationship building. While adopting holistic business thinking and actively bridging information gaps are critical steps, success also depends on organizational culture, interpersonal dynamics, and often factors beyond one’s control. The true measure of progress lies not only in achieving desired outcomes but also in developing a deeper understanding of the business, even in the face of setbacks. IT leaders who embrace this continuous learning process, cultivate trust across functions, and persistently align technology initiatives with overarching business goals will be far better equipped to drive meaningful digital transformation, no matter the inherent challenges.