People and Digital Transformation
Helping teams thrive in a world of constant change
MISCHA STRATING
Practice Lead Human Capital & Change, Ordina
WHY DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONS OFTEN FALL SHORT? HOW DO YOU BRING A HUMAN-CENTRIC APPROACH TO LIFE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION?
The world of work is at a pivotal moment. Tasks are getting digitised, virtual collaboration is the new norm, and generative AI is disrupting all in its path. The ever-increasing pace of change can be daunting for leaders. To navigate these choppy waters, businesses need to be more agile. They need to develop the ability to adapt to evolving opportunities and risks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost every company claims to be digitally transforming. But there’s a blind spot holding too many leaders back: they tend to focus on the ‘digital’ part instead of the ‘people’ part of the transformation. It’s more difficult to address behaviour, especially when we feel discomfort doing new things and acquiring new capabilities.
Why is digital transformation so tricky?
Digital transformation can feel like an uphill battle, just like achieving physical fitness:
OUTDATED METRICS
Improving physical fitness requires more than focusing on tangible metrics like weight and waistline measurements. Mental well-being and support systems are equally essential to hitting your goals.
Similarly, leaders often measure the wrong metrics in digital transformation. They tend to measure superficial things like the number of applications or employees trained when they should be focusing on more meaningful indicators like customer value and employee engagement.
INFLEXIBLE GOALS
Flexibility is crucial to your physical health journey. If you hit a plateau, you may need to change your fitness regime. And you need to learn to pick yourself up and start again when things don’t work out as planned.
If new technology impacts your organization’s digital transformation efforts, you need to change your strategy to take advantage of it. Rigid plans don’t work in an age of constantly changing customer needs and market demands.
SHORT-TERM THINKING
Like getting fit, digital transformation requires a continuous commitment beyond a one-time program. If not, the effort will not last; the change will not be sustainable.
But too often, organizations see digital transformation as a destination, not a journey. As a result, change initiatives pile up, burdening middle management and causing change fatigue and burnout among employees.
How can leaders build change-ready mindsets?
Digital transformation is not a box to be ticked, it's a 'state of being.' it's about a mindset, so humans, not machines should be the priority. Here's what leaders can do to set the scene for continuous reinvention:
TAP INTO THE COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Our organization holds a wealth of knowledge, but don’t assume your leaders are the experts. Unlock the power of your organization’s collective intelligence by welcoming different perspectives. Foster new technologies and diversity to encourage a culture of experimentation that brings the best ideas to the surface. This will stimulate collaboration from shared passion and energy, and continuous learning.
EMBRACE AGILE WAYS OF WORKING
Leaders often think in silos and hesitate to modify their structure, but this might need a rethink. Like living organisms, organizations need continuous adaptation to survive. Agile working methods can help us quickly respond to changing customer behaviour and emerging technologies. But don’t blindly follow what others do. Instead, experiment with different ways of working to find the best fit for your organization.
RETHINK LEADERSHIP
Effective leadership is a delicate balancing act between achieving short-term results and creating long-term value. This challenge is amplified by the need for leaders to reset goals and develop a clear vision for the future. This takes courage. Courage to make bold choices that provide direction and focus for the future. Also, working with new technologies requires different skills and competencies. Leaders should help their teams get comfortable with the unpredictability of digital transformation.
At Ordina, we’re here to help you engage and empower your people to get more out of digital transformation.
Check: www.ordina.com to learn how and help you stay ahead of change in an ever-changing business landscape.
