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Micro Interview with Hector Hickmott
From our Micro Interview series, we interviewed Hector Hickmott, Director of Sales, HSO.
Meet
Hector Hickmott
Head of Retail, HSO UK
Hector Hickmott loves kite surfing, the odd rum and coke, and helping organisations adopt new technology to meet their goals. With more than 20-years of experience behind him, Hector has developed proven habits you can learn and benefit from.
In this micro-interview, Hector reveals:
- What to do when things aren't going your way
- The biggest misconception when it comes to technology projects
- His top tip for building lasting relationships
…and more. Click to continue reading.
What’s your work routine?
- Large expresso
- Check email & diary
- Try and do some exercise
- Another expresso then fire up the laptop
- Scribble down things I need to sort out in the day
- Spend the day trying to find time to do them between all the meetings
- Finish before 7pm ideally, walk dog and then a rum and coke while cooking dinner
What’s one misconception about technology projects you’ve come across?
I would like to indulge and take three here:
- That the scope determines the level of investment required. It has an impact, but the clients speed of decision making, size of the customer team and openness/ability to change drive the investment costs far more than scope does.
- It is about the technology. It is not, it is all about the people. Spend time to get the teams performing well together then focus on driving end embedding the changes in behaviour and habits needed to get value from the technology that underpins this.
- It is over when the project has finished. With the cloud enabling more capability to be released on a relentless basis, it has become a bit of an arms race. If your competitor has automated a process that you have not, or has an insight you don't, then they have an advantage. Move the mindset to one of relentless improvement
What metrics matter most in a tech project?
- How well the solution has been adopted
- The impact it has made on core KPIs in the organisation
Something you wish you’d known about your work when you first started?
How quickly it changes. When you think you have got the hang of it, you are probably out of date as the landscape will have moved on.
What did your biggest professional failure teach you?
Dig deep. You never know when you are at the bottom and sometime the only answer is to work harder until you can turn the corner.
When overwhelmed focus on getting one thing right then build from there.
The #1 thing that helps organisations get value from their technology projects?
Tech is an enabler. The board should understand tech and embrace the change it can bring.
It used to be that tech suppliers were judged by how close they could come to the requirements list, whereas the role of a tech firm is now often to educate on the art of the possible to drive differentiation, enhance customer experiences and drive efficiencies and enable everyone to be more productive.
Your parting piece of advice?
Listen. You don’t always need to be talking to contribute, look for ways to make impact without unnecessary talking.
Listen to one of our recent episodes from our podcast with Hector Hickmott
With special guest Hector Hickmott, Head of Retail, HSO.
In this episode, we discuss:
✔ What retailers can expect in 2024
✔ How new technology will shape outcomes
✔ How retailers can adopt AI to add value to customer experience