Part of the Bright Sparks series, written by David Gearing, Network Services Practice Lead
Yet for many organisations, despite years of digital investment, transformation can feel like driving with the handbrake on. The ambition and tools are there but something unseen slows everything down.
That’s digital drag: the friction that creeps in when systems, processes, or people pull in different directions. It’s not failure; it’s fatigue. And it’s far more common than anyone likes to admit.
Recognising it is the first act of progress because you can’t accelerate until you know what’s holding you back.
Most digital drag doesn’t start with bad decisions; it starts with good intentions that have grown too heavy. Over time, layers of process, protection, and policy stack up until moving anything forward feels like a full-scale engineering project.
Systems are complex things. Sprawling networks, protected systems, resilient environments that all need to be secure, segmented and audited, but the result is often that there is so much to do that it drags the whole project down.
But that drag isn’t just technical; it’s human. The pressure to deliver results quickly — to prove that million-pound investment was worth it — often pushes teams to chase the outcome.
Really great results come from patience — doing things in the right order, not all at once. It’s the discipline to go from A to B to C, not A to Z overnight. Leadership needs to set the tone and be seen to set the tone. Everyone wants to make their mark – but by visibly respecting the process, giving sufficient space and consideration to each phase, and celebrating small, even incremental achievements, leaders can ensure that the pace remains slow but steady. Move methodically — not manically.
Old doesn’t always mean obsolete — but when legacy tools resist integration, create manual workarounds, or rely on that one system “some bloke called Eric built 20 years ago”, they quickly stop being stable and start becoming anchors. But the real danger isn’t the system itself, it’s the reluctance to question whether it’s still fit for purpose. Changing that mindset will be crucial to moving the organisation forward – not for the sake of change, but to identify where updates, upgrades or wholesale replacement are called for.
Even if your name is Eric and it’s your baby.
Somewhere along the way, “digital transformation” turned into “digital accumulation”. Multiple platforms, each promising clarity, but each adds a new login, a new workflow, a new place for confusion to hide. Instead of connection, you get clutter. But being clear about your needs, your requirements, about what outcomes you want from the system – and then clearing out anything that doesn’t contribute to those outcomes, can create clarity, simplicity and reduce drag. As well as reduce your wider canvas – which improves your ability to keep your systems safe.
If digital drag is friction, then drive is flow — the point where systems, teams, and decisions move in sync.
That doesn’t happen by adding more tools or announcing another transformation programme. It happens by removing what’s in the way.
Too many organisations mistake expansion for progress. The fastest route forward often starts with subtraction: fewer systems, fewer steps, fewer layers of approval. Simplicity isn’t small thinking — it’s speed by design.
Whether that user is a customer or a colleague, friction in their experience is your biggest drag. Technology should enable, not obstruct. Every click, every process, every step should make sense. If it doesn’t, it’s wasted energy.
Honest communication is the oil that keeps digital drive running smoothly. If there are bumps or delays – flag them, communicate them – and quickly. It is always better to delay and get things right than deliver something inadequate on time. Clients, teams, and stakeholders will always prefer a delayed success to a rushed disappointment.
Momentum builds when progress is visible. Phased delivery and small, measurable achievements turn abstract transformation into tangible success. Or put more simply, that first step might not be the shiny box but it’s the step that makes the box actually work – and deserves to be just as celebrated.
Because transformation isn’t about doing everything at once; it’s about doing the right things in the right order.
That’s how you turn drag into drive.
David sits right at the intersection of both.
Spark the conversation with David
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Progress shouldn’t feel this hard. Yet for many organisations, despite years of digital investment, transformation can feel like driving with the handbrake on. The ambition and tools are there but something unseen slows everything down.
Read now
Network Services Practice Lead
David leads the development of Roc’s network strategy and portfolio, shaping and refining customer propositions to strengthen performance and experience whilst delivering value.
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Emerging technology has an irresistible pull. Every CIO knows the feeling: a new platform promises efficiency, a new algorithm claims intelligence, a new vendor insists you’re falling behind. The pressure to adopt can be immense – from boards, from peers, from the market itself.
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