The most common mistake in digital transformation...

Despite the fact we’re now living in an age where digital tools are common, digital transformation projects still fail more often than they succeed.?There are plenty of reasons for this, but there is one mistake we see time and again which makes the chance of failure much higher.

All too often we see businesses only focus on the technology itself.

They get caught up in which digital tools they want to bring in. They get caught up in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data processing, and other new technologies. They lose sight of the most important part of a digital transformation journey - their people.

The reality is, technology is only the means to an end. Successful digital transformation relies on people. The teams working with the technology and the ways in which they interact with it will determine success.

Upskilling your people

As the gap between outdated processes, customer expectations, and modern technology grows, upskilling your employees has become essential. You'll need to bring your team up to speed with the latest technology, more efficient processes, and agile project management if you want your digital transformation to stick.

Here are 4 upskilling methods you should consider during your digital transformation:

Digital Learning & Development:

Proper investment in training and development will pay for itself. Having internal digital L&D programmes will enable you to tailor the content to your business, and means all employees can take the training at a time that suits them. By developing a digital course, you can tweak it as needed, and run it as often as you need, so any new employees can be put through the training too.

On-the-job learning:

Give your employees the opportunity to learn from their colleagues. Provide mentoring with managers and leaders in the digital space. Bring your employees along with you by making sure they have the guidance and advice on how to use new technologies and processes.

Mentoring programs can be a great way to provide employees with the support and guidance they need to stay up to date with the changing landscape. It also helps to create a culture of learning and collaboration, as employees can learn from each other and share best practices.

Certifications:

Professional certifications can help employees demonstrate their expertise and provide recognition for their skills and knowledge. But it's also a great way to attract talent.

When people come to work for you, they want to know that they can develop their careers and grow within your company. Providing formal learning opportunities to widen both their industry knowledge and their digital skills will not only make them more valuable to your business but is likely to help them choose to work for you over other employers and could also see them staying with you for longer.

Cross-training:

Cross-training is where employees learn new skills and take on different tasks to become more versatile and valuable. It helps them to become better prepared for a digital future. When companies go on digital transformation journeys one of the main causes of failure is not getting buy-in from operational staff. By cross-training your team to use the digital tools and techniques being introduced, you're more likely to keep them engaged in the process.?

The digital technology you choose is important, but technology is only one part of digital transformation. People and the way they work with your technology are the key to successful innovation.

Investing in the right people and the right training is just as important to successful digital transformation as shiny new tech. A digital future requires more than just computers. True innovation comes from people. Creating the right environment and support for them is the most critical part of the journey.