Analog vs Digital workplace behaviors. How can HR drive change?

With the emergence of generative AI and LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT and Bard, consumers' digital experience has advanced significantly compared to that of business users. However, due to concerns about security, data protection regulations, and fears of job losses and union activities, large businesses are slower to adopt these technological advancements.

Nevertheless, even without AI or LLMs, many non-digital native businesses face an underlying issue that hinders them from fully benefiting from digital advancements. This issue is a pervasive lack of digital skills, particularly among middle management, higher-ups, and decision-makers who began their careers in an analog (non-digital) environment and have yet to undergo a personal transformation. While these leaders may approve significant funds for digital transformation projects, few have truly transformed themselves.

Analog behaviors of Leaders

Here are some examples of analog behaviors that highlight this point:

• Leaders continue to rely on reading physical, printed reports, forms, and documents instead of utilizing digital alternatives.
• Leaders often use adjectives (e.g. "great result", "major win", "team did bad") and adverbs (e.g. "completely super quickly", "didn't deliver fast enough") rather than specific data points when describing outcomes and efforts.
• They stick to synchronous and linear communication methods, such as sending emails and waiting for responses, instead of embracing asynchronous communication through collaborative tools.
• Many struggle to adapt to virtual communication tools due to a strong preference for face-to-face interactions.
• Some leaders still rely on manual task management, using spreadsheets or physical to-do lists to manage projects and tasks.
• Critics of returning to the office argue that this resistance primarily stems from top leaders' unwillingness or inability to adopt and adjust to new digital ways of working.

While there are various success factors in effective digital transformation, the most impactful factor that drives the rest of the organization to adopt new ways of working is business leaders modeling digital behaviors. This post explores how HR can support business leaders on this journey.

Digital Skills vs Digital Literacy:

Many organizations aim to develop digital capabilities but often struggle with where to begin. Product teams, for example, may require specific "digital skills" to transform a product successfully, necessitating the development of competencies and abilities to navigate and utilize digital technologies effectively. However, leadership and other employees need to be "digitally literate," which entails a broader understanding of digital concepts, critical thinking about digital information, and responsible and ethical engagement in the digital realm.

To improve digital literacy, a typical strategy involves establishing a digital literacy framework, such as the European Framework for Digital Competence for Educators (Link ). This framework can be used to assess current digital literacy levels based on its criteria and provide development opportunities to enhance digital literacy.

How Leaders can get involved

However, as with any transformation, frameworks and training can only go so far if those in authority fail to display the expected behaviors. Therefore, business leaders and decision-makers must:

• Role model digital leadership by demonstrating their own digital competencies, actively participating in digital initiatives, and showcasing the benefits of digital transformation.
• Sponsor and encourage "digital experimentation and collaboration" by creating a supportive environment that allows employees to explore and utilize digital tools and technologies.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing through cross-functional teams and projects, enabling employees with different digital skills to learn from one another.
• Be open to learning from their teams and embracing new digital practices and technologies.

In addition to personal behavior change, leaders must address systemic adoption issues that often hinder digital literacy. These issues include:

• Outdated IT infrastructure, such as insufficient technological resources, legacy systems, and outdated hardware or software, which impede the adoption and implementation of digital tools.
• Siloed information and communication practices, where analog communication and information-sharing methods hinder scalability, while digital communication practices can improve collaboration and knowledge-sharing through transparent and collaborative tools.
• Lack of digital integration, resulting from fragmented systems and processes that lack digital integration, making it difficult for employees to consistently apply digital skills. Streamlining systems

Role of HR/Training in digital up-skilling of leaders

The digital transformation of organizations requires a targeted approach to improve digital behaviors in higher-level leaders. HR/Training functions play a crucial role in developing human capability by building a comprehensive executive/senior leader digital upskilling plan. This plan should address the hesitations of leaders and encourage the adoption of digital tools. The following elements can be included in the plan, depending on the organization's current digital maturity and available IT/digital infrastructure.

1. Develop digital educational assets: Provide awareness and educational resources, such as short videos and links to trusted articles, that highlight the benefits and potential of digital tools for collaboration, communication, and information transfer. Use real-world examples and success stories to emphasize the positive outcomes of digital transformation.
2. Tailored development plan: Design programs specifically for higher-level leaders, focusing on their roles and responsibilities. Offer personalized coaching or mentoring to help them understand and navigate digital tools effectively. Highlight how these tools can enhance decision-making, productivity, and strategic capabilities.
3. Executive digital champions: Identify and cultivate executive digital champions who have successfully embraced digital tools. These champions can serve as role models for others. Encourage them to share their experiences, success stories, and best practices in adopting and utilizing digital tools effectively.
4. Pilot experiential projects: Introduce small-scale pilot projects that demonstrate the value and impact of digital collaboration tools. Assign higher-level leaders to these projects, giving them hands-on experience and opportunities to see how digital tools enhance efficiency, productivity, and collaboration.
5. Integration with business goals: Emphasize how digital tools align with the company's strategic objectives and can drive growth, innovation, and competitive advantage. Connect the use of digital tools to key performance indicators and demonstrate the positive impact on achieving business goals.
6. Encourage continuous learning: Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional development among higher-level leaders. Provide ongoing training, workshops, and seminars to keep leaders updated on the latest digital trends, tools, and strategies. Encourage participation in industry events, conferences, and forums to broaden their digital knowledge and network with other digital leaders.
7. Lead by example: Higher-level leaders should actively use and embrace digital tools in their own work. Demonstrate how digital collaboration, communication, and information transfer enhance decision-making, efficiency, and transparency. Encourage leaders to share their experiences and success stories with their teams, reinforcing the importance of digital behaviors.
8. Recognize and celebrate digital adoption: Acknowledge and celebrate leaders who actively embrace and champion digital tools. Recognize their efforts and highlight their successes, both internally and externally. This recognition reinforces the value and importance of digital behaviors and encourages others to follow suit.

Practical Examples of Digital Behaviors Leaders Should Display:

For successful digital transformation, higher-level leaders must exhibit digital behaviors that are expected of everyone. Here are some practical day-to-day behaviors that leaders should adopt to send a clear message to their teams:

1. Project Management: Utilize digital project management platforms like Trello, Asana, or Basecamp to track tasks, deadlines, and project progress, rather than relying on Excel-based trackers created by others. These platforms allow real-time access and updates, eliminating the need for frequent status update meetings or lengthy email threads.
2. Day-to-day communication: Implement instant messaging and chat tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Chat to facilitate quick and direct communication. Real-time discussions, file sharing, and questions can be addressed without the need for lengthy email chains or scheduling meetings.
3. Collaborative Document Editing: Use cloud-based collaboration tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, or Dropbox Paper to work on documents simultaneously. Multiple team members can edit and comment on documents in real-time, reducing the
4. Internal Knowledge Sharing: Establish an internal knowledge sharing platform or intranet where employees can access important information, documents, and resources. By providing a centralized repository of information, employees can find answers to their questions independently, reducing the need for repetitive emails seeking information.
5. Virtual Meeting and Video Conferencing: Embrace virtual meeting and video conferencing solutions like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Cisco Webex for remote or geographically dispersed teams. Instead of organizing in-person meetings, opt for virtual meetings that save travel time and allow for face-to-face communication without physical presence.
6. Task and Workflow Automation: Explore task automation tools like Zapier, IFTTT, or Microsoft Power Automate to automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows. This reduces the need for manual coordination and frees up time that would have been spent on email communication or unnecessary meetings.
7. Shared Calendars and Scheduling Tools: Utilize shared calendars or scheduling tools like Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, or Doodle to coordinate meetings efficiently. By sharing availability and using scheduling tools, teams can avoid long email threads and find suitable meeting times faster.
8. Internal Social Collaboration Platforms: Implement internal social collaboration platforms like Yammer, Workplace by Facebook, or Microsoft SharePoint to encourage informal and open communication within the organization. Employees can share updates, ask questions, and collaborate on ideas, reducing the need for lengthy email exchanges or formal meetings for certain discussions.

End-note

While organization wide digital behaviors are critical in this day & age, they also come with potential disadvantages such as reliance on technology, reduced face-to-face interaction, and security risks. Organizations need to carefully consider these factors and strike a balance based on their specific needs, maturity and business objectives. However, top leaders have to lead from the front and digital behaviors cannot be delegated. The risk of not adopting a digital first ways-of-working is too high to be ignored, and HR is probably best positioned to drive this culture change.