As businesses build strategies for the post-pandemic era, we see them rethinking the role of digital while ensuring the fast-paced growth that is now required to operate. Digital and digital transformation are set to have a cascading effect in the industry.
This wave of digital initiatives must not be confused with the real business transformation required for success in the digital age. The former is mainly about allowing business as usual and “staying in the game,” while the latter is about creating a real, long-term competitive advantage to succeed. It's time to revisit your digital transformation strategy into new normal.
The world has shifted to a contactless, digital-first environment and customer interactions now span different channels, devices, and environments. It is not enough to understand events that occurred in our products and services. We need to genuinely and deeply understand the context and situation in which these interactions occurred, necessitating data to be at the center of everything, making digital transformation imperative for organizations, enabling them to be scalable, reliable, and resilient.
Here are some of the key areas that must be considered.
- Challenges faced while undergoing a digital transformation
Building a generative culture - Transformations require taking risks, experimentation, and innovation. This involves significant psychological trust, safety, empowerment, and support within the company.
Additionally, asynchronous communication is another challenge faced– As organizations shifted to a remote or hybrid mode of working, it has been challenging to implement new ways of communication and collaboration to ensure productivity and seamless flow of information.
Empathy at the workplace - An organization undergoing a digital transformation must empower and enable its workforce. This is impossible without having empathy as a core tenet of their organizational culture.
- Common aspects of digital transformation that are overlooked
Most organizations are focused on technology as the first step in their digital transformation. Though, the optimal order is the right organizational culture, empowered change agents, and optimal processes – before we even start looking at technology. People, not technology, are the actual value creators within an organization. Technology is only an enabler and can never compensate for an unhappy culture.
Digital transformations are arduous and need commitment, perseverance, and grit for long periods. Leaders need to consider the following aspects to ensure that the organization can digitally transform successfully and sustain it.
- People and Culture will be the focus of 2022
In these times of the talent shortage, great resignation, and strained supply chains, organizations should make 2022 about culture and people to be successful. Empowerment of the labor force is vital for success.
