Digital transformation is a community project — start successfully
Digital projects can be tough and fail — and yet 77 percent of German companies say that digital transformation is the solution for Germany's future. So what can managers do to make digital transformation projects successful? We present possible starting points for successful digital transformation in the organization.
Promote digital transformation projects with a communicative spectacle
Many transformation projects fail because one hand often doesn't know what the other is doing. While the strategy is being discussed by top management, people are scrambling at operational level as to how a new tool can be integrated into the production process in the best possible way. Both sides lack decisive knowledge, which the other side retains — unintentionally and yet inefficiently. The complexity of the projects often overwhelms those involved, and the motivation to continue to get involved is close to zero. It's no wonder. There are rarely central points of contact where participants can obtain information on their own and provide an overview on a personal basis. Because: Organizational charts, circulars and a few intranet articles are often not enough to cover the need for information.
What is needed instead is a “communicative spectacle” — and that from all sides and not just top-down. But this requires appropriate opportunities that encourage exchange: Platforms, networks, talk sessions, information events or break-out sessions can, for example, encourage employees to exchange ideas independently, at a low threshold and in a pleasant environment. This also allows new employees to find their way around the company more quickly and the flow of information is guaranteed decentralized and independent of time.
Tip: Enable a diverse exchange within the company that informs employees about strategies and developments of transformation projects. Make decisions within projects transparent and involve all employees. Microsoft Teams makes sense to start with, but platforms that also allow social interactions are even more suitable — sharing, cooperating, making the transformations themselves visible.
Create central points of contact: bundling information instead of just spreading
Large-scale transformation projects can quickly — despite sufficient communication — lead to overwhelming demands. In the best case scenario, the information comes from all sides, here a status presentation that is intended to provide an overview, there an individual project report. Plus new processes, new contacts, new tools, changed products, changing market conditions: Transformation can quickly become overwhelming. What is missing is individual relevance, personal connection, and the opportunity for a better overview.
Instead of disseminating information too broadly, managers should bundle relevant transformation knowledge at a central point of contact. As a result, in addition to the information that is communicated centrally and usually top-down, participants can decide for themselves which information they consume and when — and continue their education according to their personal needs.
Tip: Create a “single point of transformation knowledge” where all information on ongoing transformation topics and projects converges. Let employees decide for themselves which information is relevant to them — and encourage them to inform and learn independently.
Digital infrastructures for transformational exchange
Creating a central point of contact for transformation topics and information also means setting up an appropriate digital infrastructure. After all, information should not be stored exclusively on SharePoint and distributed via email, teams or town halls in the long term. Digital learning platforms make such a project possible: As a “single point of transformation knowledge,” they create comprehensive transparency, make company-specific digital knowledge available and encourage employees to use and exchange ideas with attractive interfaces.
But beware: Simply introducing a new platform and hoping for the major transformation within the transformation is too short-sighted. As with any new digital tool, a new learning platform also requires a certain amount of accompanying communication during implementation and a corporate culture that sustainably supports such a form of information exchange. Employee acceptance of the new tool then increases — and they use it.
tip: Invest in digital infrastructures that centrally bundle company-specific digital knowledge at a “single point of transformation knowledge.” For example, establish platforms that both provide information on transformation projects and enable learning materials as well as exchange among employees.
“Can” change with the right mindset
The recipe for successful transformations is therefore “actually relatively simple”: Constant and targeted communication, a central point of contact and a digital platform make transformation clear, accessible and tangible. In this way, the “transformation ability” of an organization remains dynamic. People can keep themselves informed, acquire knowledge and learn new things over and over again. This can create the mindset with which employees “can” change.
“The biggest part of our digital transformation involves changing the way we think.”
Simeon Preston, Managing Director & Group Chief Operating Officer FWD Group
Make change projects in your organization tangible with the help of a central transformation platform. Read here how the Haufe Academy Learning Experience Platform can help you with this: https://www.haufe-akademie.de/digital-suite/lxp