The culture of any business is extremely important and a huge part of its success. If we think of digital transformation as the reimagining of a business in a digital age, then this can only take place in a progressive forward-thinking culture capable of awareness and evaluation. Organisational culture is shaped by the leaders in a business, so its leaders need to be progressive, innovative, and able to critically think to facilitate digital transformation.
Areas of digital transformation
There are various schools of thought on the components of digital transformation. Here are some examples:
- Operational Agility
- Innovation
- Collaboration
- Customer understanding
- Workforce enablement
- Digital technology integration
- Culture and leadership
- Business model
- Process transformation
There are so many facets to the change, it can feel overwhelming, but culture and leadership should always be the starting point.
Leaders drive change
Strong leadership and effective change management are central to digital transformation success. Digital transformation for any business is all about innovation and change. It’s also about effective collaboration with all members of teams within the organisation. The leadership and the culture of a business, therefore, need to be diverse and inclusive to create the most effective impact. The people at the top quite simply must have the right mindset to be open to change and examine current organisational practice. This is best facilitated through an exchange of ideas and experiences that are rich and varied.
A culture of belonging
Businesses must have an environment where failure is allowed. A psychologically safe space where employees feel able to try ideas and communicate them. This comes through an engaged and inclusive culture where everybody feels valued, and they belong. We know the organisational culture affects decision-making and action throughout businesses and therefore it can either enable or hinder progress in terms of any form of transformation. Digital transformation requires a specific mindset to achieve its goals so, if we encounter a misalignment with company culture this will reduce the ability to adapt and will require a culture shift. There will always be an element of resistance to any digital transformation, but a strong culture can overcome this. Often employees need to see that the change is either aligned with or strengthens the values of its culture and this can help facilitate acceptance of the change.
Preparing for digital transformation
It is evident that culture and leadership of two major components of digital transformation. Transformation simply cannot take place without a progressive culture to facilitate it, here are some other ways to prepare for change.
- Ensure the leadership team is focused and aligned
- Create spaces for daily employee engagement
- Build diverse transformation teams internally Make sure your culture enables this change
- Roll out informative staff training
- Be prepared to continually evolve and adapt
Effective digital transformation empowers businesses with increased security, more efficient workflow and increases profitability. Make sure your culture enables this change.
