#18 Ema Roloff

Had a great talk with the inspiring Ema Roloff last week which is finally out for everyone to listen to! Our discussion focuses on how AI is distorting the transformation effort by focusing everything on the technology, with little regard to the people and process aspects that always(!) directs and constrains any real change. Ema has a lot of great points and perspectives on what transformation and change should and shouldn't look like, and I am thrilled to have had her share her insights on the podcast.

Read more about Ema at the bottom of this newsletter.

As always, I am very happy that we once again managed to make an episode that explores more than it explains ??

Listen to the episode here:

Apple: The Only Constant on Apple Podcasts

Spotify: The Only Constant | Podcast on Spotify

Google: The Only Constant ( google.com )

Spreaker: The Only Constant ( spreaker.com )

What made this episode special to me?:

Me and Ema go back some time. When she drove the Third Thursday, I participated a couple of times on the show, and also later in some of her smaller videos where we discussed technology, change, automation, AI... Always appreciated discussions with Ema, and the way she is constantly expanding her horizon by being a very active networker and influencer helps her retain a high relevance in the digital transformation discussion.

And actually, Ema, might be one of my favourite digital transformation influencers. This concept, which has been so scrutinized recently and almost mocked, is reshaped by Ema to not focus so much on the technology but more on what technology impacts. This is people, processes, organisations, purposes. And to me, that is the primary aspect of digital transformation - what is being transformed. Emas insistence on having this discussing nomatter what tech emerges on the horizon makes her a mainstay in any change discussion.

My other key post-recording deliberations are:

• We need to ensure that we become more human through our use of technology, not less. Valuable human interaction should be a goal in itself for any technological transformation.
• Don't implement tech for the sake of tech - always ensure it relates to and fits into a reality of people and processes, which is the real constraint inhibiting deep transformation. If not, you are giving Kendall Jenner a knife which she can't use (listen to the episode for this reference...)
• Your people need to feel the purpose of technology. Let that sink in. This is difficult and takes a lot of time - at least more time than the time it takes for a new GPT model to emerge...
• The entire replacing humans discussion assumes there are no more complex issue to fix... which is contrary to the entire human experience, where every innovation always leads to more complexity in requirements.
• Change mangement is part of any transformation! Weird that this needs reemphazising all the time...

And tonnes more... also love her note in the end about how the new generation is not a digital savvy as we might expect, having grown up with better UIs than the millenials... Listen in - Ema is gold!

About Ema Roloff :

Ema is a passionate educator, sales leader, and digital transformation expert with a unique background in teaching and over a decade of experience guiding companies through their digital evolution. She is the co-founder of Roloff Consulting and the Host of Leading Change. Ema has received prestigious awards and accolades, including AI Journal’s Young Tech Leader of the year, the RISE 35 under 35 Award and recognition as an Industry Influencer by InsurTech Hartford.

Ema's diverse experience spans various industries, enabling her to identify patterns and facilitate insightful discussions that transcend industry boundaries. With over 300 expert interviews conducted in Digital Transformation and Innovation, Ema is a trusted voice in the field.