You're navigating conflicting feedback on digital strategy. How do you determine the best path forward?

When things that are measurable don't agree, the first step is to try to determine - insofar as possible - what's true. Is it possible analytics instrumentation is off? If this is a customer feedback situation, is the data statistically significant? If so, what is the problem? Is it really a conflict of fundamental strategy? Or is there a more simple tactical issue going on? If feedback is from other sources; management opinions, board members, experts, then things get more challenging. Can you verify any opinions? Maybe there's not conflict really, but multiple potentially valid paths. Right and wrong is often more easily determined than best optimized path. If optimizing, then you have to look at alignment and probabilities for success.

To navigate conflicting feedback on digital strategy, first, prioritize understanding the underlying goals and concerns from all stakeholders. Analyze the data and performance metrics related to each perspective, and consider the potential impact on your overall business objectives. Seek common ground by identifying strategies that align with key priorities and offer the most significant potential for growth. If necessary, pilot test different approaches on a smaller scale to gather real-world results. By balancing data-driven insights with strategic alignment, you can make an informed decision that addresses the core needs of the business.

Feedback through analytic solutions can vary, especially now with AI assistants being added for programmatic parts of product development. You must consider what variance in metrics are due to competing sources. Differences in metrics less than 10% may be just a slight difference in how the underlying data is calculated - this happens with web analytics. A rounding error can be a cause. But the key is deciding up front what difference among inputs is acceptable error.

Regularly engage with experts in relevant fields to gain additional insights on conflicting feedback. Use their expertise to evaluate the technical feasibility & strategic alignment of various feedback points. Create feedback loops to continuously gather & analyze input from users & stakeholders. This ongoing process allows you to adapt & refine your strategy-based performance & emerging needs. Strategic feedback filtering, impact matrices, consensus workshops, scenario analysis, expert consultations & iterative integration, you can effectively navigate conflicting feedback & determine the best path forward for your digital strategy. This approach ensures a well-rounded, data-informed, and collaborative decision-making process.

When navigating conflicting feedback on a digital strategy, determining the best path forward requires a nuanced approach that harmonizes diverse perspectives while aligning with overarching goals. Develop a system to score and categorize feedback based on its relevance, impact, and feasibility. Use criteria such as alignment with strategic goals, potential to address critical pain points, and resource requirements. Assign scores to each piece of feedback and aggregate the results to identify which feedback aligns best with your strategic objectives. Apply various strategic lenses, such as customer-centricity, innovation potential & operational efficiency—to evaluate feedback.

Who are you getting the feedback from? Is it the data speaking - for example online sales are reducing? Is it the employees or the stakeholders? The only negative feedback worth taking into consideration is the one related to the main KPI of your strategy. If the main KPI is conversions and they are dropping, then you might need to make some fine tunings. Otherwise stay persistent - digital strategy requires a reasonable amount of ime to show results.

To navigate conflicting feedback on digital strategy, it's important to establish a clear framework for decision-making that prioritizes data-driven insights. Begin by evaluating the relevance and accuracy of the feedback in the context of your overall business objectives and digital goals. Consider the source of the feedback and the metrics it addresses. Next, align the feedback with your strategic goals, and if conflicts arise, prioritize the insights backed by strong data evidence or that align with your long-term vision.

Start with "who." Who provided the feedback—colleagues, customers, or external experts? It's common for different stakeholders to have varying perspectives, and it's the role of the marketing strategist to decide which feedback should guide the adjustments and planning of the strategy. While customer feedback is crucial, it isn't always the most insightful or valuable. The customer isn't always right; sometimes, they don't even know what they truly need. You may know Henry Ford's famous quote, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses."

In navigating conflicting feedback, engage key stakeholders who will be impacted by the digital strategy. For example, if you're considering changes to your website based on differing opinions, consult your marketing team, customer service representatives, and even a few customers. Their insights can help clarify how the proposed changes might affect various aspects of your business. By involving stakeholders, you ensure that the final strategy aligns with practical needs and expectations, fostering broader support and smoother implementation. This collaborative approach can clarify which feedback aligns best with your overall goals.