About 1.1 million runners — or roughly 0.01% of the world's population — complete a marathon every year, according to the International Institute for Race Medicine. In comparison, 70% of organizations have a digital transformation strategy or are working on one, according to PTC.
Is it surprising that digital transformation is more popular than running 26.2 miles? Possibly? IDC projects that digitally transformed organizations will contribute to more than half of the gross global domestic product by 2023, accounting for $53.3 trillion. Marathon runners are likely only to support the Gatorade and GU industries.
Now, you may be wondering what marathon running has to do with digital transformation. Well, when you line up on the starting line to run 26.2 miles, you’re committed. The fewest number of runners quit when they’re committed at the beginning and the fewest quit at the end. Most runners quit around mile 20 or 21 — when they hit the wall, they’re exhausted, they hurt; they’ve gone so far, yet still have farther to go. It seems like the race will never end and the battle is endless.
Growing up, running was never my strongest suit. I played social sports, like golf, which was a sport I played competitively through college. After graduating, I took up recreational running as a means to fight stress, cope with my anxiety, and stay fit and active as I was no longer a collage athlete. A few years and a pandemic later into my ‘running journey,’ I challenged myself to actually run a race, a half marathon. Thus, I became a long-distance runner, experiencing a transformation that was to reshape my professional and personal life in more ways than I even imagined.
Running more than 40 miles a week gives you plenty of time to think and reflect upon problems. More times than I can remember, I’ve settled arguments in my mind, found solutions to problems, and considered new project directions during my runs. There is a strong link between running and a "younger," more nimble brain and the positive effects are long-term, ranging from increased brain capacity to think, store, and recall information to planning and maintaining a more positive outlook about life.
My job revolves around workflow technology. During one of my training runs I had an epiphany about the clear similarities between technology development and training for a race and that there are lessons we all can learn from marathon running that we can apply to digital transformation — from training and mindset to proper fueling. I’ve come up with 6 elements of success in the marathon that I find to apply equally well around technology development.
Motivation (and Discipline): No runner will aim at running a 5k, 10k, 13.1, or 26.2 miles without strong motivation. As in running, strong motivation behind a new project is an essential component for success. The motivational strength is linked to real business considerations (i.e., needs). Every new project will need to be placed under this light of business requirements and not just considered on the importance of interesting science. Equally important is the commitment to the goal. It takes a long time to prepare for a long-distance race and often longer to enable a new technology for your organization. Your personal commitment will be a strong metric of how others (i.e., your management) view your motivation and belief in your goal.
Quality Training: The importance of a good training plan is invaluable in terms of achieving your race day goals. The plan should aim at improving your weaknesses without leaving you exhausted and unable to carry on with the rest of your day. A good execution plan is a vital component of any new technology development project. Identifying, at an early stage, key obstacles and directing resources to target such roadblocks is a required practice for effective management of new projects.
Patience (at the start): No matter the race distance, you’ve trained hard and once the race is on, your natural tendency is to go out fast. After all, you are feeling good (at the time)! A new technology project will require similar patience at its beginning. The organization should have the flexibility to allow for that. Cutting corners in research to produce rapid results may excite upper management, but it will also undermine the deeper understanding of the technology that will be needed to produce unique solutions at later stages.
Hold Steady (for those middle miles): For a (half) marathoner, the middle miles provide a wide range of emotions, from “ecstatic” and “content” to “tired” and “bored.” The key to success in the race is to keep a steady pace regardless of your emotional state. Similarly, the mid-life of a new project will produce a multitude of impressions to both employees and management. Early successes may be substituted with following failures. New problems will surface that may negate some of the envisioned advantages. Honest and emotionally detached evaluation of the project will provide the best assessment mechanism. If the decision is to proceed, steady pace on the research level should be applied to carry the project on to the next milestone.
Finish Strong: It has been said that the half or full marathon race starts around mile 10 or mile 20. Whoever has run a long-distance race knows well the dreadful feeling of the last 3-6 miles of the race. Still, the best marathoners have strength left to deal with the finish. If your project makes it to “mile 20,” there are strong chances that it will make it to the end. Cautious effort during the last development stages, including managing the technology transfer process and collaborating with implementation groups will help ensure a strong finish.
Recovery and Planning (for your next race): Finishing a race is a great accomplishment. After such an intense period of preparation and training you deserve some period of relaxation and recovery. Completion of a new technology development project merits similar accolades. Even if the technology is ultimately not adopted by the business, lessons learned can always be applied to improve the odds of the next project opportunity. After the decompression period, new opportunities will be pursued, thus restarting the cycle.
Running a long-distance race and running a new technology development project have similar challenges and, potentially, similar enjoyment upon completion. Although running won’t necessarily make you an athletic champion, it will surely improve your life and elevate you to becoming a savvier professional. Training for these long distances calls for single-minded commitment, it is an inherently extreme endeavor that requires hard work and dedication. Runners hold qualities which make them dedicated toward accomplishing goals whether on the road or in the office, which can be a roadmap for success in transformative business projects.
About the Author: Taylor Genter
Taylor is a Marketing Manager at Extract with experience in data analytics, graphic design, and both digital and social media marketing. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Taylor enjoys analyzing people’s behaviors and attitudes to find out what motivates them, and then curating better ways to communicate with them.