More often than not, that failure isn\u2019t a technology problem. It\u2019s a change management <\/em>problem. It\u2019s a tug-of-war between an effective new way of running your business and a perfectly human resistance to change \u2013 and it can be solved with good planning and leadership.<\/p>\n Thinking about digital transformation as a change management problem<\/em> means you can use change management solutions<\/em> to shift behaviors, sway opinions, and increase your chances of success against resistance to change. Here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned through my experience helping companies through the process:<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to think about the costs we<\/em> save. The time we<\/em> get back. The way technology connects our <\/em>business.<\/strong><\/a> But what about those you serve? Your organization\u2019s goals certainly matter but lose sight of your core purpose \u2013 your customers \u2013 and you stand to lose their trust, not to mention the confidence of your own people, as they wonder whether a change is really necessary.<\/p>\n If your customers want a better experience and faster service with less friction at lower costs to increase their own productivity or effectiveness, listen to them and find out what, exactly, they care about. By connecting your technology change to a meaningful purpose that aligns with your customer\u2019s needs, you not only win over your customers but also empower and motivate your employees as they work toward a bigger, shared goal that has a clear purpose and measurable impact.<\/p>\n The worst time to communicate a change is right before it happens. Approaching digital transformation as a \u201cbig bang\u201d event that develops in the dark until you suddenly flip the switch is a sure way to leave employees feeling overwhelmed with a lot of new information at once, confused about what\u2019s expected of them and frustrated (or even devalued) without the chance to offer helpful feedback mid-process.<\/p>\n Time is a friend to change, which is why it\u2019s important to bring employees along for the ride. Involve them from day one and they\u2019ll have plenty of opportunities to wrap their heads around what\u2019s coming \u2013 and their role within it \u2013 without surprises down the road. To do that, consider these three rules:<\/p>\n For every excited early adopter of your digital transformation, you\u2019ll have naysayers and employees sitting on the fence. It could be apathy, burnout, anxiety or even change fatigue that holds them back \u2013 whatever its root cause, you need to listen to their concerns if you\u2019re going to build confidence in your decisions and win them over.<\/p>\n Leadership support is a key piece of that puzzle. Implementation needs support and ownership from across business units, from team leads to CEO, from finance to customer service. Leaders and executives are your communicators who lead through example and set your company\u2019s culture. But your early adopters and front-line fans have a role to play, too. They need to share their voices and demonstrate their support first-hand.<\/p>\n Your digital transformation team is accountable for keeping your implementation on-track and keeping your employees in the loop.<\/strong> <\/a>Your employees have accountability in the process, too, when it comes to taking personal ownership over the results. That kind of ownership simply can\u2019t be forced via directives and protocols. It needs to come from within, from those who have skin in the game.<\/p>\n After all, it\u2019s up to each individual to overcome the urge to resist change (\u201cI knew this wouldn\u2019t work\u201d) and instead embrace their own problem-solving capability (\u201cHere\u2019s how we can close this gap\u201d). Solving this comes back to your \u201cwhy\u201d \u2013 tapping into employees\u2019 desire for purposeful action in something meaningful. It also requires leadership to communicate that meaning clearly and consistently.<\/p>\n Murphy\u2019s law states that, if anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. Even with thorough planning, your organization can\u2019t foresee every new piece of information, every trend set to explode, every world-changing event on the horizon or every leadership change that could put the project at risk. If your organization can\u2019t absorb the shock, the project \u2013 and all you\u2019ve invested in it \u2013 could run off the road.<\/p>\n Success, then, relies less on whether<\/em> setbacks happen and more on how<\/em> you deal with them. Agility means adjusting quickly<\/a><\/strong> in the short-term without losing sight of that long-term \u201cwhy.\u201d It means staying both flexible in your methods but consistent in your approach. It means keeping the momentum going at all levels of change.<\/p>\n When you approach a large implementation such as a new ERP system, lead with your core values \u2013 not a pursuit of the next shiny object \u2013 keep the lines of communication open with your employees, rally support across divisions and roles, tap into your teams\u2019 sense of ownership and adopt agile strategies and you\u2019ll set yourself up for digital transformation success<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Key insights on:<\/strong><\/p>\nDigital transformation success means adopting good change management practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Tie change to your customers\u2019 needs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>2. Communicate, communicate, communicate<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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3. Meet resistance by rallying support<\/strong><\/h2>\n
4. Foster employee accountability and ownership<\/strong><\/h2>\n
5. Expect setbacks \u2013 and adapt to them quickly<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Change starts with your core values<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How to Build a Digital Transformation Strategy – Download Free Whitepaper Today\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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