Digital Transformation and digital mindset: the importance of Putting People First

When discussing digital transformation within a company, it is common for the initial focus to be on technology and the desired level of automation. However, it's equally essential, yet unfortunately less common, to address the topic of change management.

Change management is a comprehensive term that encompasses a wide range of processes and sub-processes designed to facilitate the transition to a different state. This transition typically occurs during IT transformation projects, where change management professionals play a vital role in reducing resistance to change, minimizing service disruptions, and ensuring the successful implementation of new IT solutions and related processes.

People as the Heart of Digital Transformation – the importance of a digital mindset

The key question here is: How do we manage change effectively in the context of digital transformation? It's not just about the technology or systems; it's about people — the heart and soul of any organization. As someone with extensive experience in this realm, both as a consultant involved in the digitalization of companies and as a leader within organizations aiming to digitize, I've come to a profound realization. The most critical success factor in any digital transformation strategy is, unequivocally, the people — the true assets of a company.

People drive the success of a digital transformation strategy. Technology alone cannot deliver the anticipated value if the people within the organization do not adapt, accept, and fully harness the benefits of digitalization. In fact, it's the people who make the difference in any transformation initiative. The equation is simple: digitalization involves implementing systems and automating processes to create value, but this value remains elusive if the people within the organization do not effectively utilize the results of digitalization. People are the pivot, the catalyst, and the ultimate arbiters of success in any digital transformation journey.

So, what can we do to enhance the human aspect of digital transformation? The answer lies in investing in the development of digital skills and competencies—a kind of digital culture that forms the foundation for increased readiness and a reduction in resistance to change. This approach is commonly known as digital skills training or digital mindset training. It fosters a set of digital skills and attitudes that enable individuals to use technology and data in a synchronized manner to optimize processes, seize new opportunities, and, ultimately, create value at both the organizational and personal levels.

Research and practical experiences have shown that implementing a digital training program of this nature has far-reaching positive effects. It not only benefits the specific IT transformation program but also has a profound impact on the organization's ability to become a learning organization, fully leveraging the potential of digitization.

A recent experience I had the privilege to lead underlines the potential of this approach.

The Success of Collaborative Digital Skills Courses

I collaborated with a group of talented individuals who volunteered their free time to create digital skills courses. The goal was to facilitate change and promote the acquisition of new digital competencies. It all started with a fundamental objective—equipping all employees with a broad, foundational understanding of basic IT technologies. Subsequently, the program expanded to include key applications essential for data analysis, reporting, and collaboration.

In its initial stages, the program yielded moderate results as it was managed as an IT project by selected individuals. Unfortunately, at that time overall participation remained limited, with few enrollments in new digital training courses. The limited engagement was partly attributed to challenges such as a narrow course offering and integration issues with external training providers on our learning platform.

However, a significant shift in perspective occurred when the executive management made a pivotal decision to sponsor the digital upskill of the organization as a key objective connected to the company strategy. This was necessary to ensure the seamless progression of the overall digitization program.

As a result, a new leadership coalition was established, comprising IT and HR-learning and development- executives. The approach was transformed from being directive to collaborative—a significant change in the modus operandi.

To start the initiative successfully, a program and approach were defined to address key issues related to the purpose and means of achieving the overarching goal. With a clear vision and a delivery model in place, a team was created through an internal recruitment campaign, aimed at finding volunteers who were internally motivated to share their knowledge. The campaign was an incredible success, with many qualified colleagues dedicating part of their working hours to share their knowledge with others. Their goal was to enhance the digital knowledge of their colleagues and contribute to this initiative by creating online trainings about digital skills. It was inspiring to witness this collaborative spirit in action.

To support the development, preparation, and promotion of new initiatives and training courses, a digital training factory was established. This facilitated the creation of a comprehensive plan for the release of new online courses, significantly increasing the course offerings and sustaining colleagues' interest.

Several months into this management shift, it is clear that the revised approach is bearing fruit. The adoption and engagement levels have shown remarkable improvements. This initiative is now one of the most exciting and successful endeavors within the organization I have ever had.

Naturally, the initiative benefited from the existence of a digital infrastructure, including a digital learning platform (Learning Management System), and a set of tools for generating digital content. These elements were already in place and readily available, serving as a fundamental prerequisite for the initiative's success.

The initiative, which is proving to be highly successful, is a testament to the fact that it has a long-term goal, serving the very people who are the true driving force behind any digital transformation strategy. I wholeheartedly recommend that anyone embarking on a digital transformation journey should place people at the center of their initiatives. Moreover, establishing a path for the acquisition of digital skills is undoubtedly a determining factor in the success of such initiatives.

In conclusion, digital transformation is not just about technology; it's about people. By investing in the development of digital skills and fostering a digital culture, organizations can empower their most valuable assets—their employees—to drive successful change and fully realize the potential of digitalization. With people at the heart of the transformation, organizations can navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age with confidence and agility.

Sources and key learnings

Finally, I would like to leave here a reference to an HBR article that was a source of inspiration and some key lessons and advice from this experience. The inspiring article was: "Developing a Digital Mindset" by Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi, published by HBR.

My key learnings: tips and tricks for achieving success in such initiatives:

- Ensure that key decisions are made when creating the program regarding the type of training to be delivered (e.g., online, webinar or even classroom), the target audience (all employees or country groups, by type of work wc/bc, etc.), the possibility of outsourcing some of the training creations (make or buy approach),

- Define whether training released should be in one only language or multiple languages (this of course might have impact on the delivery model )

- Have top management or key leaders in the orgarnization sponsoring the initiative and involve IT and HR teams actively into this

- ensure a clear delivery model is defined to allow team members/volunteers have the right process to share new ideas, to develop courses according to specific agreed guidelines, and finally a process to review new courses is in place - set up a digital training framework to guarantee a successful delivery: e.g., a learning management system with sufficient licenses, tools for creating digital training content, additional tools for processing video and multimedia content.

- build ways and channels to collect the organizational needs via internal website, questionnaires, or simply email address to provide feedbacks on training released and/or new needs

- define in the training delivery model a process for internal marketing of digital courses. A sort of promotional marketing mix, made up of internal communications, direct marketing activities, senior management sponsorship, announcements in events and communications, and more to be set up. All with the aim of informing employees of the initiative.

- Build a set of kpi's to be monitored regularly to understand the positive performance of the initiative (e.g., number of enrollments, number of learners, number of courses delivered, etc).