How do you manage the change and resistance that may arise from using digital transformation tools?

In addressing resistance to digital transformation tools, my approach centers on demonstrating the positive impact these changes will bring to individual work lives. I take the time to illustrate specific benefits, such as how a new system can automate mundane tasks, allowing team members to focus on more engaging, high-value work. This clear demonstration of personal benefits helps to shift the perception of the tool from a disruptive force to a valuable ally in their daily responsibilities. It's about fostering a professional dialogue that not only informs but also inspires a shared vision for the future.

Clear internal communications via various channels, gaining stakeholder buy-in early, internal training, and a company culture of adaptability are all key to managing change and resistance to new tech transformation tools.

Over the past 2 decades experiencing a range of resistance to new tech & tools, I personally believe the best way to start is to anchor to where people are to begin with. Starting the journey by building rapport, then understanding the deep root cause of why things are done the way they are and in collaboration letting people walk the walk towards the change. It often means not getting credit for the "transformation". True transformation happens when people who have to adapt to the change own it.

Successful stakeholder management starts with acknowledging that change is a personal journey. A lack of widespread acceptance impedes organizational transformation. It doesn’t matter if you have an optimal solution. To navigate individuals through digital transformation, a well-thought-out stakeholder management plan is imperative. It is all about: - knowing who you stakeholders are - understanding what they want and need, and how your proposed change is affecting them - finding and leveraging an executive sponsor - handling resistance (plan for it, it will happen!) - working on clear messaging and getting the right people to communicate that message

You have to do this carefully since people may not always fully understand the technology itself, but you will not be successful if you don’t take time understanding the users and their environments. Too often, decisions about digital tools are made based on general assumptions. This starts your digital transformation efforts on a foundation of sand. And, to be clear, this doesn’t need to be an overly exhaustive or time consuming effort, but it will pay dividends and increase adoption.

Digital transformation revolves around the golden triangle of PPT People Process and Technology. Whether you want to scale, automate, or innovate, interfacing of PPT is key, People and Technology together innovate where People and Process together help scaling. People builds organization & with right change management and involvement of people, Digital Transformation initiatives can do wonders.

It’s all about the people. The individuals closest to the process you are attempting to bring digital capabilities to are the best position - not only to help you find the opportunities to improve the process, but also to help ensure successful transformation.

No doubt stakeholder engagement is critical to designing an inclusive experience. Recognizing when and where it’s best to bring stakeholders into the inner workings, of equal importance is identifying knowledge gaps across an organization and establishing a way to bridge that knowledge gap. I think when we look at innovation and transformation in many cases the gaps is easier to define then the solution that could bridge that gap or solve that pain point.

??El corazón de la transformación digital: las personas?? La verdadera #transformacióndigital no se trata solo de implementar tecnologías emergentes; su éxito depende de las personas. Clientes, colaboradores y todos los grupos de interés deben estar en el centro de este proceso. Es por ello que, más allá de la #tecnología, la #transformacióncultural es el punto de partida. ?? ?Cómo lograr la adopción de herramientas digitales? Involucrando a todos desde el inicio, mostrando los beneficios de estas herramientas y permitiendo que cada voz sea escuchada. La retroalimentación es clave para un proceso exitoso de #innovación. Al hacer que las personas se sientan parte de la transformación, garantizamos una adopción más fluida y sostenible. ????

The roll out of new digital tool can be tough on some team members, this is why its important to offer a high level of training. Encouraging teams to talk about their experiences and giving them feedback can also help a lot. This way, everyone can learn and get better together.

Effective training for digital tools should be personalized, not one-size-fits-all. Utilize adaptive learning platforms that tailor training to individual skill levels and learning speeds. Gamification can also play a key role, turning learning into an engaging, motivating experience. Support doesn't end at troubleshooting; it encompasses motivational aspects to help users overcome the psychological barriers to new technology adoption.

In my experience, this is one of the major factors that drives value. Particularly some of the foundation-level digital systems like ERP and PLM systems lack intuitive user interfaces where significant training and at-elbow support are needed. For Training, it’s important to create a multi-channel and multi-style approach to ensure everyone has an equal chance of success. For example, balancing classroom, self-learning and on-the-job training is essential. For support, I found having a multichannel approach is more effective than just using a help-desk approach. It’s better to embed competent key user and human support resources combined with tech such as bots and AI.

Fostering Digital Fluency for Organizational Transformation Digital fluency is a vital capability to cultivate within an organization. Ensuring everyone comprehends the essence of digital and empowering some to apply this knowledge to address business challenges through digital tools is important. Building this competency organization-wide not only reduces skepticism about digital initiatives but also lays the groundwork for an accelerated transformation. Key is to train people with the context of their function and that helps people understand the art of possible,!!

In my view, managing expectations is also about trust. When business leaders are transparent about what can be achieved with digital transformation and follow through on those commitments, they build trust. This trust is crucial not only for current initiatives but for future endeavors. Stakeholders who trust the leadership are more likely to support subsequent initiatives, even with inherent risks.

Digital transformation is not a project with a firm timeline. It’s an evolution, an infusion of innovation and design thinking into an organization. At times incremental and at times radical, but always a conscious adoption of an innovation culture. Organizations that recognize this, also accept there are risks, failures and continuous improvement is the new state of business.

Por definición, el ser humano tiende a resistirse a los cambios. La transformación digital, por el contrario, propone cambios constantes. La única manera de fomentar este mindset consiste en acompa?ar a los equipos en dicho proceso y por supuesto, poder transmitir el valor que genera ficha transformación. Una vez se percibe el beneficio, el propio ecosistema fomenta y valora los cambios.

In my experience, managing expectations and risks is a critical strategy for success. Setting realistic and achievable goals, coupled with transparent and regular communication, lays the foundation for a shared understanding among stakeholders. Proactive risk management, including thorough assessments and contingency plans, becomes imperative to anticipate and mitigate potential challenges, such as technical glitches or security breaches. Additionally, harnessing collective intelligence through feedback channels fosters continuous improvement and problem resolution. Cultivating a resilient organizational culture that embraces change as a constant encourages adaptability and transforms setbacks into opportunities for growth.

Your soft skills will shine through here, clear communication is a must. Create RACI matrix to manage your stakeholders and update accordingly.

Based on my past experiences, beyond immediate morale boosts, celebrations and rewards offer a chance for reflection and iterative learning. By highlighting successes, the organization can dissect what went right and how to replicate it. Conversely, by acknowledging challenges—even in celebration—there's an opportunity to learn, adapt, and innovate for the next phases of digital transformation.

The journey of digital transformation is as much about the people as it is about the technology. Celebrating the wins, big or small, fuels motivation and drives commitment. Publicly appreciating the collective efforts not only boosts team spirit but also underlines the value of collaboration.

Completely agree that celebrating and rewarding the digital transformation journey is essential for creating a positive environment for users. At UpSlide, we do this not only through formal usage/business reviews and feedback sessions, but also through informal ways - I'm thinking about our recent client party, for example. I also sent some Christmas notes at the end of last year, which was a great token of appreciation to clients, showing how much we value their partnership and collaboration. I believe that a digital transformation is more than just a technical change, it is also a cultural change that fosters innovation, creativity, and teamwork.

Recognition does not need to be financial, Simply saying thank you and widely communicating the great work creates energy. Doing this consistently across the organisation is important to show inclusivity and fairness.

Many of the projects I have been involved in leverage virtual and distributed teams across multiple time zones. One of the simplest and very effective ways to celebrate the project that I find, is to meet at least once in person. The last opportunity to do so, is in the project close phase. Something as simple as a team building and multiple shared meals with personal thank you messages to each team member and their invited end users guests are unforgettable memories for these types of distributed teams.

I would have something to add. - Measuring success through specific metrics and KPIs is crucial while managing digital transformation, offering tangible proof of transformational benefits. - Proper selection, implementation, and technology optimization are pivotal, ensuring scalable, secure, and integrated digital tools. - Funding digital initiatives poses challenges—deciding budget allocation, justifying costs, and ensuring ROI are paramount. - While user focus is essential, external stakeholders— suppliers, partners, clients — play a significant role. Their perception and engagement can influence the entire digital transformation trajectory.

Fundamentally, humans are biologically predisposed to feel discomfort at times of extreme stress - understanding this will help you to understand that change resistance is often a coping mechanism for your impacted populations! By properly consulting people impacted by the change and meaningfully taking on board their feedback - you’ll help them to adopt the changes with less resistance.

?? If you see Confusion = Are all your leaders reading from the same book? Do you have a clear vision and direction for where the company is going? Have you shared that vision and the WHY behind it? ?? If you see Fear = You did not communicate your vision well enough to help your team find their "What's in it for me?" statement to understand how the change will help them. They will come to their own conclusions about what a major technology implementation means for their future with the company. ??? If you see Resistance = You did not include them in the process enough. The new system or processes you are implementing will impact everything they do. Who wouldn't want to provide feedback on how it is implemented?!

?? If you are running into resistance you need to rewind to the beginning of your transformation journey and answer this question honestly, "Did we rush into choosing a platform too quickly?" Your transformation should be focused on enabling your people and future state processes through the use of technology, not trying to force your team into a solution that they resist.