Digital transformation: Are you slow?

Right now is the time to speed up digital transformation. This is the time for all companies to consider increasing their pace. Very few have thought about how a worldwide lockdown would affect the rate of digital transformation. Hopefully, most companies now realise that this is the time to speed up when it comes to digital and online.

While some people and companies are struggling with imposed change, there is no question that others are adapting at a pace much more significant than anything we've ever experienced and seen. And the demand is a necessity.

Right now, we are heavily disrupted, which makes it possible to be more alert and open to change to run our business the right way, and for some companies, it's about survival.

I often ask whether the continuation of digital transformation overwhelms company employees when they are already dealing with such workloads and responsibilities. It is the opposite, now is the best time to drive relevant and positive change, and all companies should consider increasing pace. 

Help people become digital transformation experts

The fact that we are heavily disrupted makes us more alert and open to shifting gears. If presented correctly, change encourages people to envision themselves as champions of something good rather than for the change itself. There has never been a better time to create digital transformation, our most substantial source of relations and transactions today.

The demand is two-folded: All colleagues expect a suite of tools to enable fun and efficient work, and every company and organisation needs to provide an improved foundation. These demands allow companies to drive fast and fun cultural change, which is the hardest part of digital transformation. 

Time to rethink

Every company's strategy must be rethought, re-fined or fine-tuned. The accelerated timetable enables a flexible approach that can adapt to a very unclear future. So, your new strategy must be built on an infinitely adaptable platform.

All sorts of meetings have become more efficient when their time is cut in half, and the same should be applied to plans. You may already have a transformation path mapped out to introduce needed change. What happens if you shorten the timeline by half, push for the change, and achieve the same goals?

I advise you to force yourself to eliminate all nice-to-haves to get things done. 

Tell a story

Tell your colleagues the excellent story and make them understand why we drive change as we do, and explain what is in it for them as individuals. Be very clear about the desired future state showing what it will be like on the other side of transformation. Express emotions that decision-makers and colleagues can relate to. Will it be easier to do things? What will effortless simplicity be like? Will customers and prospects prefer to work with you? What troubling use cases will be different, and how?

Practice deployment

Make it clear that your deployments will never assume perfection. Instead, do your best to reduce risk, and set a clear path to the next step. Balance the need for speed with the expectation of improvements and adjustments. Every organisation grows stronger by learning from both successes and drops.

Now is the time to accelerate the practice of enablement. Make the digital personal, and people will readily embrace it. Change and transformation are slow; you must start to be fast.

What are digitisation, digitalisation, digital transformation and digital readiness

Sometimes knowing what is what with all these buzzwords can be unclear. In the presentation, Martin explains the differences between digitisation, digitalisation, digital transformation and digital readiness. Enjoy your download!