5 Crucial questions for navigating digital transformation

In a rapidly changing world fraught with crises, digital transformation is not the first significant transformation for most organizations. And even though, there is pressure on your digital initiative to start and set up the program, there is quite a lot which can be learned from your previous significant transformations. So set together and identify what didn’t work, what worked, and what you should do and avoid at all costs. I guarantee this exercise will be more relevant to you and your organization than following a theoretical course on change management.

In most organizations, I see the change toolbox consists of stakeholder analysis, impact grids, stakeholder journeys, engagement scorecards, etc. And although these are good tools and have their benefits, we should not make the mistake of confusing the means and the end. The only way you can truly realize successful change is by being skilled at connecting with and understanding your stakeholders. So have a look at your change approach and identify how this approach will enable deep and meaningful stakeholder understanding.

Digital transformation is non-negotiable for many organizations, leading to a heavy emphasis on management and control. Because of this feeling that “it must work”, we become immune to feedback from our stakeholders. This results in the “no-one-listens-to-us”-syndrome which will increase your change saturation and decrease your change willingness. Again, have a look at your change approach: How will your approach capture feedback and capitalize on it? To be clear, capitalizing is different from logging and reacting to it.

Why embark on a journey if you’re not completely confident in its success? When examining the insights shared by accomplished business leaders who have made substantial progress in their digital transformation initiatives, a consistent theme emerges: Digital transformation is primarily shaped by the mindset and behaviours of your workforce rather than the technology itself. Unfortunately, altering mindsets and behaviours isn’t always a straightforward process achievable in just a few steps. (Refer to the next tip for further details.)

Change can take many forms—simple, complex, chaotic, or systemic. It can be top-down or bottom-up, universal or localized, amongst others. It’s recommended to adapt your approach to the unique characteristics of your transformation and the needs of your organization. Do not be fooled by the dominating X-step change approaches that focus predominantly on governance, measurement, communication and training. Do not be fooled by the new kids of the block as well who advocate viral change through an informal network of key behaviors. The real question is: how will approach your digital transformation:

• Linear of iterative
• Risk-tolerant or risk-averse
• Collaborative or hierarchical
• Primary focus on Internal efficiency or customer-first
• Diverse simultaneous implementations (rapid) or streamlined (gradual)

And adapt your change approach accordingly. 

In conclusion, navigating the intricate landscape of digital transformation may seem daunting, but by arming yourself with these five essential questions, you’ll be better prepared to steer your organization toward success. Asking the right questions is the first step toward finding the right solutions.