Staying Ahead of Digital Transformation

Digital transformation is well underway, and companies that position themselves ahead of the oncoming trends are ensuring future relevance and growth. Businesses that are taking action, and evolving alongside with this changing landscape do so by experimenting and challenging industry norms. This level of ambition to remain on the cutting edge requires an ability to remain confident, quickly recognize failures, and learn from mistakes made.

This forward-thinking approach may not sound like a new or novel idea to most organizations, however, a significant amount of companies struggle when implementing change. In fact, according to a report from McKinsey, 70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals, which is rooted in employee resistance and inadequate support from management.

The Importance of Culture

Many companies look at digital transformation and become infatuated with technology and how it can bring about the changes corporate leadership is seeking. Technology is extremely important, and perhaps even the centerpiece of these types of transformations. However, company culture is the foundation upon which the technology needs to exist, and is often the variable that tends to dictate success or failure.

This realization is critical for those in leadership positions, as it should lead to a thorough evaluation of the roadmap that is being crafted, in order to meet your company’s goals. This roadmap must go further than implementing the technology in question, and reach the people and inform the culture that will be utilizing the technology. Ultimately, what we are talking about here is a strong focus on the people involved, in order to create true transformational change within the organization and culture. People-centric changes will actually take root and lead to significant transformations and direct results. Becoming too laser-focused on the technology will lead to change programs that offer very little long-term change.

What Makes Digital Organizations Successful

Unlocking true change in today’s digital world requires more than just a forward thinking vision and roadmap to see that vision through. An effort must be made to nurture a culture of change that inspires team members to think creatively which would in turn sparks innovation. This approach requires courage to continuously push forward, and an acceptance that failure precedes success.

Accompanying this approach to push forward and work through failure should be a willingness to invest in new technology or capabilities, and develop a level of dexterity when it comes to keeping pace with the constantly changing digital landscape. A layer to this ability to remain nimble in the face of change is a culture that truly nurtures, develops, and retains talent while reducing any risks associated with losing it. This typically requires a strong acceptance of diversity and collaboration, as most digital leaders place immense value in developing interdisciplinary teams that are comprised of a diverse and multifaceted cast.

For those looking to become a successful digital competitive force during a time of seemingly constant transformation, it is important that you remain daring and experimental. Truly forward-thinking and transformative ideas come from companies that foster a culture of free thinking without any judgement or blame games. Realizing that having an impact on this digital world requires a step outside of the comfort zone, and an acceptance of failure that ultimately leads to stronger successful choices informed by past mistakes.

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