Culture hacks for successful digital transformation

We are currently on the eve of a revolution in which new rules arise and society and organizations are redesigned. The worldwide rapid technological developments are the basis of this revolution.

Culture hacks

Every organization is increasingly confronted with these faster-paced developments and changing business models. This digital revolution will demand different skills and insights from many employees and especially managers. Guiding transformations, acting flexibly and taking people along in a vision are some of the necessary skills of the modern manager. In addition, he/she must be very capable of operating in a customer-oriented manner, be able to collaborate excellently and be aware of value creation.

The digital revolution will eventually affect every organization and every business. The need to change and transform digitally will increase and the transformations will have to be implemented faster and faster. The need to change usually does not lie with the individual or the management team, but often with the new demands placed on an organization by customers and the environment. The extent to which an organization is able to adapt to the new circumstances is of vital importance for any organization.

To embrace this continuous process of change and transformation, companies will need to implement some key core values ​​of change in their organizational culture. Important core values ​​for successful change are;

• Consider change or dealing with change as a normal part of your job. Changes take place more often, follow each other more quickly. They are implemented in a shorter time frame and the complexity increases.
• See change as a process. A process is needed to realize a change (transition process).
• Let the human factor play the leading role. An organization is not tangible. It consists of relationships, power relations, social connections and individuals. Accept and understand that the need for change almost always arises from outside pressure.
• Do not see change as a threat, but as a huge opportunity for success!

If the change awareness in an organization has increased and the willingness to change has increased considerably, the next step is to create the preconditions for every necessary change or transition. These conditions can differ per transformation but the most important will always be;

Importance and urgency

Be very clear about the importance, reason and urgency of the change. Make these clear to everyone and keep repeating them. Also translate this interest into the personal interest of the individual employee.

Change Planned

Change is a process. Make sure you prepare for this process and draw up a clear step-by-step plan that also includes a “people plan”. Create measurement moments of progress and create control and overview.

Digital Change Agents

Change cannot be done by 1 person. Provide clear “Digital Change Agents” in your organization, ambassadors of change and digital progress. In the digital transformation we also call them Digital Value Makers. Employees and stakeholders who would like to change and who are continuously aware of the need for this and who also know how to present it consciously and positively.

Leaders of Digital Change

Provide clear ‘leaders of digital change’ in your organization. Leaders who take people along in the digital transformation, who know how to keep control but who also know how to overcome resistance.

Successful organizations are able to create a culture where change is a constant. A culture in which people get energy from continuous adjustment and improvement. And once these organizations have embraced the conditions of successful transformation, change will elicit little resistance and change will occur continuously and organically.

Does your organization have the culture to embrace the necessary changes?