Fostering a Culture That Embraces Digital Transformation
Welcome back. This is part 4 of our 5-part series on taking a People-First Approach to drive your digital transformation. In part 1 we reviewed the competitive advantages of digital transformation. Part 2 lays the foundation for creating a clear vision for your transformation. Part 3 focuses on how to successfully launch your workplace transformation strategy.
With the excitement of the launch starting to fade, these final two posts focus on fostering a culture that embraces workplace transformation. We believe that to succeed in the change process, managers need to inspire and engage their employees. Getting everyone involved helps foster buy-in and elevate overall performance levels.
Here are some of the best practices to inspire you and keep your team engaged:
- Continue to Host Transformation Meetings
- Acknowledge How Employees’ Roles Have Changed
Continuing to Host Digital Transformation Meetings
After you’ve shared the vision and launched your digital transformation plan, don’t assume that everyone can clearly see how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
Just like in the early stages of developing your transformation plan, the transformation team should continue to engage employees through multiple communications channels. Be proactive in scheduling regular meetings with staff to remind them of the vision, get feedback, and identify pain points. This information can then be used to update metrics and improve the process.
Acknowledge How Employees’ Roles Have Changed
As workplace transformation unfolds, managers should take the time to acknowledge employees’ fears over job security and failure. As a famous Thomas Edison quote goes, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
That’s a sentiment employees should hold dear. Failure, if you want to call it that, is rarely a lost cause. The more you learn about what not to do, the better your next attempt will become.
Digital transformation is an opportunity for your team to expand their expertise for the future. This means their roles will change as you match their strengths with the new process. When employees recognize how new technologies can expand their performance even further, they will feel more secure and open.
During performance reviews, ask employees what new skills are they learning and identify gaps in training. Help them set personal development goals by asking what more could be done to optimize their digital skills to be more efficient.
We invite you to continue this discussion here or join the conversation on LinkedIn.
