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As we navigate the future of work, change will be the one constant. For Justin Peyton, change represents a world of possibilities.
Justin is Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer APAC for Wunderman Thompson, a Salesforce partner and global creative, data, and technology agency. He is also the latest guest on our Future of Work, Now podcast, where he shared what he loves most about working in the digital space.
He said, “Every business has a different challenge, which means every day I wake up and am asked to solve a problem that I’ve never solved before. It has led me on a journey where I'm constantly learning and that’s exciting.”
Speaking with podcast host Simone Heng, Justin offered his views on technology and why he believes transformation should be a philosophy. Here are highlights from their conversation:
Justin’s career has taken him all over the globe. This includes Chicago, London, Dubai, and most recently, Singapore. In Singapore, he spent the last seven years helping clients use technology to grow and better serve their customers. Part of his passion for this work stems from growing up in Palo Alto, an area of Silicon Valley.
“I grew up in Palo Alto before it became what it is today. There were smaller technology firms back then and they were ruled by academics and those with an idealistic view of what technology could be. I have carried that with me and continue to believe that technology has the power to bring people together in meaningful ways and to help them explore their own humanity,” said Justin.
This focus on the human side of technology has informed how Justin thinks about data and technology. For example, he is quick to translate data into a view of humans and their behaviours.
“A colleague once said to me that data is just people in disguise and if you think about it that way it becomes much easier to relate to,” he said.
Justin discussed the pandemic and how Wunderman Thompson worked with clients to stay connected with customers. For some businesses, this required a complete pivot, while others had to accelerate existing roadmaps.
Throughout that time and since, businesses have operated in a constant state of flux. Justin said that treating transformation as a philosophy versus a project could help businesses to manage this change.
“I believe we are moving from a time where people think about transformation as a project with a budget and an end date, to a time where businesses think about themselves as transformational,” said Justin.
"Businesses who adopt this philosophy will be more likely to take risks. They will succeed in some experiments and fail in others. But when you accept the idea that change is a constant, you will find things that work and be able to readily stop what doesn’t," he said.
Simone asked Justin for advice on how people can learn to live with the discomfort that comes with taking risks and continually pushing oneself. He acknowledged that it is difficult, but warned that staying comfortable is not always a safe option.
“I don’t know how to tell people to strive for discomfort as that’s not what we look for in life. What we look for is safety and comfort. However, in a world that’s changing so quickly, you need to continue challenging and stretching yourself or you’re not really safe,” he said.
Justin added that people needed to shift their perspective about failure and see it as an opportunity to learn and do the next thing better. The good news is that this is happening more and more.
“I am more excited and enthused by the potential and ambition of people than I have ever been before. There have been a lot of challenges this past year, but the silver lining for me is that people's ambitions have raised right up to the top. It makes me look forward to where we are going,” he said.
Hear more from Justin on transformation as a philosophy by listening to the full podcast.
Access the podcast on demand at our podcasts page, Spotify, and iTunes. You can also listen over at the Singapore Community Radio Twitch page, Facebook page, and website.
Tune in at 1:00 p.m. SGT Friday, March 19 to hear from our next guest, Wendy Walker, Senior Director Marketing Asia Pacific, Salesforce.
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