Podcast: Digital transformation relies on "radical transparency"

Years of IT setbacks within her organization led Patty Hatter to foster a culture of trust and oversight

Photo by Pahala Basuki on Unsplash

“I had a fantastic first boss—I trusted him, he trusted me.” Trust has been a critical cornerstone of Patty Hatter’s career since her very first job.

It was this trust, coupled with a focus on what Hatter calls “radical transparency” that gave her the atmosphere necessary for lasting change within her former organization, McAfee.

As CIO and senior VP of operations, Hatter says transparency was the key to successfully driving transformation forward.

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“We [the IT department] had to show all our cards everyday to everyone within the organization,” Hatter says. “There really was concern over ‘where is the money going’ and we didn’t want to be an IT department that no one understood.”

Using this strategy, Hatter was able to move the organization forward from years of IT frustration—a process which she says is the most rewarding for her. “It’s hard and challenging, but also rewarding,” she says.

“Can you figure out how to put all these puzzle pieces together in a way that’s moving the organization forward?”

Tune in as Hatter joins AI Network Podcast host Seth Adler to discuss why her role as CIO forced her to make this biggest leadership changes in the shortest timeframe, how bad executive leadership places a “lid on creativity”, and what leaders need to do to ensure transformation success.

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