True to the quote from Frithjof Bergman (namesake of “New Work”), we now have the technologies to organize work differently and rethink it. But technology alone is no guarantee of successful change. Rather, it is the people and the organization of the companies (regardless of their type and size) that make the digital transformation truly tangible and successful.
But what does it mean to make both the company and the individual ready and thus fit for such a change? From the large bouquet of measures, I would like to pick out just a few that seem important to me personally and have proven themselves in my work:
Clear objectives and orientation – why should we make the effort and what do I get out of it?
The WHY and “What is in it for me?” of a digital transformation plays a central role and represents the decisive point of orientation for employees. It is important to break down complex and extensive issues into understandable subvisions and stories tailored to the different employee groups. The following figure shows what this can look like and is closely related to another decisive factor: communication.
Communication – if you think it’s too much, then it’s probably just enough.
Here I take up a topic from the first blog again. The type, frequency and intensity of communication is a very controversial topic. For some it’s too much, for others it’s too little and you can’t really please anyone. However, a few basic rules help to increase the effectiveness of communication measures. These include:
- Clearly defined and communicated communication channels and a (flexible) communication plan that adapts to the circumstances
- Timely and hierarchically (if necessary) coordinated and orchestrated communication activities
- Create space for dialogue and make transparent who is the contact person for which topics
- Plan for unforeseen reactions
- Install feedback channels from the organization and actively manage them with information
- Involve and train managers and other opinion leaders in their different communication roles
- Addressee-oriented language and formulations – the more heterogeneous the structure of the employees, the more important it is to find the right approach
Change to a learning organization – Lifelong learning is more than a popular buzzword for managers and universities, it is lived change in the organization.
It is about finding out how work strengthens people and does not weaken them. Companies would do well to ask themselves what are the appropriate tools and skills that individuals and the organization as a whole need to evolve, survive, and grow in a rapidly changing world.
The competencies must be identified and promoted that will still be relevant in the future (depending on the orientation and industry, these are very different cycles of 2-10 years). This requires understanding how work is changing and what needs to be done to collaborate and communicate faster and more productively. Intrinsic motivation is crucial for this, but cannot be assumed for every employee. Rather, it is about identifying the factors that ensure that the “learning muscle” (as in sports) remains trained – that employees want to learn and draw positive experiences from it. It is crucial that the organization provides the culture and the framework conditions so that this can function without friction.
Promising factors in building a learning organization are, for example:
So at the end of this little blog series and as a conclusion we would have my very personal conclusion:
- The digital transformation must always be considered company-specific and individual and therefore requires a preliminary analysis.
- A strategic approach helps immensely to sharpen the objectives and framework conditions of digital transformation (especially in sales) and to steer them in the right direction.
- In order to continue to be successful as a B2B company (including SMEs), there is no way around the digital transformation – be it as a hybrid sales organization or through the further expansion of digital channels.
- The entire company will be affected by this transformation – in some way. In this way, it helps to achieve the goals of involving everyone to a certain extent and keeping them informed.
- Without appropriate communication , it becomes very challenging to win over employees in a positive and supportive way for such a project.
- When communicating, it is important to break down the WHY, WHAT and HOW for the entire organization and the individual stakeholder groups concerned and to make it understandable.
- Both the organization and the individuals must be made fit for a digital transformation and accompanied – both in terms of the skill set and especially the mindset .