Roger Lawrence, former Head of Tech Enablement at APA Group, explores the ‘Sunday-Monday problem’ and the need to align people, processes, and innovation in this CIO Edge interview.

The ‘Sunday-Monday’ problem, refers to the shift in how people experience technology, where consumer technology has surpassed enterprise technology.

In the past, workplace technology was more advanced than what individuals had at home.

However, since the rise of smartphones and cloud services, many people now have access to better tools in their personal lives than they do at work.

This creates challenges for organisations, such as maintaining architectural governance and avoiding tech debt, while also addressing issues like cyber security.

At the same time, the rapid adoption of technologies like generative AI offers opportunities to enhance agility and innovation in the workplace.

To overcome these challenges, Roger stresses that it is important to recognise that business solutions go beyond just technology; they involve people and processes.

Processes in many organisations are often undocumented and rely on the knowledge of individuals.

Therefore, building strong relationships, fostering entrepreneurial thinking, and having a deep understanding of both the business and the technology are crucial.

Leaders need to prioritise hiring people who can bridge the gap between business needs and technological possibilities and who can effectively “sell” the vision of innovation within the company.

Attracting and retaining talent with a startup mentality in large corporations requires creating a sense of purpose.

While financial incentives play a role, true innovation happens when individuals are driven by a mission and a passion to solve complex problems.

Organisations must cultivate a culture that enables employees to be resourceful and creative, even with limited resources, and empower them to take ownership of their ideas.

Innovation teams should focus on enabling the business to innovate, rather than being the sole drivers of innovation themselves.

 

Key takeaways:

  • Shift in technology expectations: Consumer technology, fuelled by mobile and cloud innovations, often surpasses enterprise tech, creating challenges for organisations to stay agile and competitive.
  • Importance of people and process: Successful business solutions require not just technology, but also strong relationships, clear processes and entrepreneurial thinking to drive innovation and agility.
  • Mission-driven innovation: Attracting top talent and fostering innovation requires a sense of purpose, empowering employees to solve meaningful problems and enabling the business to innovate from within.
Contributors
Roger Lawrence Former Head of Tech Enablement at APA Group
Since his high school days in South Africa, when mainframes and dot matrix printers were cutting-edge, Roger has been captivated by the... More

Since his high school days in South Africa, when mainframes and dot matrix printers were cutting-edge, Roger has been captivated by the potential of emerging technology to solve complex problems. His journey has taken him across the globe—from Durban, Edinburgh, and Stockholm to Austin, Kuala Lumpur, and Sydney—where he has gained extensive experience across diverse disciplines and industries.

Throughout his career, Roger has had the privilege of working alongside some of the industry’s top professionals at leading tech giants like Atos, Compaq, Microsoft, and HP. Together, they have tackled some of the toughest challenges faced by the biggest names in the business. Roger’s approach is rooted in collaboration, always valuing the strength and expertise of the teams he leads and supports.

Innovation is the cornerstone of Roger’s career. Whether harnessing the power of AI and ML to drive insights, leveraging the Cloud to create operational efficiencies, developing groundbreaking solutions in Spatial Computing, or nurturing a culture of innovation, he is in his element when leading the charge towards transformative results.

At APA Group, Roger spearheaded technological innovation, focusing on driving tangible business value through strategic technology enablement. His role involved facilitating workshops, delivering cutting-edge innovation strategies, and empowering his team to consistently “power ahead” in the competitive energy sector.

As a co-founder of ACHIEVR, Roger has demonstrated a proven ability to deploy immersive technologies to tackle complex OHS training challenges. This, coupled with his extensive experience at APA Group, highlights his unwavering commitment to leading-edge solutions, continuous improvement, and driving digital transformation.

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Transformation Leadership Culture Skills