Preventing Skynet: A Human Centric Approach To Digital Transformation

This Is The World Now. Logged On, Plugged In, All The Time.?

When the writers for Terminator: Genisys wrote this line in 2015, digital transformation was little more than a buzzword in boardrooms. In fact even by 2019 BC (Before COVID), the stories of failed digital transformation initiatives were more commonplace than the success stories. COVID 19 has arguably done more for digital transformation initiatives than most transformation programmes have ever done. We are now indeed always logged on and plugged in. As more organizations accelerate their digital journeys due to the sheer need, it is important to explore some of the implications this brings.?

So how do we stop the AI from taking over and from us having to bow down to our new robot overlords? Ok, perhaps that is a tad overdramatic. There are however, some less dramatic threats. On one end of the spectrum, an over adoption of automation and intelligence may result in a system making or facilitating decisions with insufficient checks and balances, which may inherently have a negative business impact (Skynet, ish). On the other end, a shiny new system may alienate teams and lead to under adoption, which ultimately results in a wastage of resources. How do we navigate past these pitfalls to achieve true digitalisation??

Empathise

A true digital transformation does not rely solely on the technology. It is commonplace for new, flashy systems to be implemented and not really solve the issues it purported to. While great salesmanship is sometimes a reason for this, a more common pitfall is to rush into implementation without fully understanding the issues. Empathy goes a long way here. It is important to be obsessive about fully understanding the issues a team faces. Surface level feedback is great start but oftentimes we find that teams are describing much deeper issues when we empathise and truly dig deeper. This is vital in ensuring that the correct problems are addressed.

Organize?

Oftentimes we focus too heavily on the technology. What kind of functionality do we need? What should it look like? What should this button do? While these are important questions, they often make us forget why we are implementing the technology in the first place. Instead, focus on what teams will look like in a transformed organisation and what additional value they should be adding. From the empathise stage, it is often clear to see what we would not like our people to do. This is a great first step in visualising what we would like our people to do instead. This allows for a clearer view of organisational gaps and how technology can help to bridge it. Be sure to communicate this vision with teams often and be open to feedback. It is futile to implement technology when the practices surrounding it remain untouched.

Democratize

Proper governance structures are key to any implementation or development. However, it is important to make sure that the process does not become too top down where all decision making lies at a steerco and project team level. Diversity of opinion and thought is important here. Machines are fundamentally objective. However, humans are inherently subjective and the prevalence of one particular school of thought from one particular person/group of people can also make a machine subjective and unfit for purpose (again, Skynet…probably). Identify key members within teams that can offer some diversity of opinion. Ensure that they are given a safe space to express their opinions and empower them to be champions of change. Test early and often. Having demo systems that are easily accessible for teams to get their hands on are great for engagement and getting feedback. Democratize the change and reap the benefits.

TLDR

·?????Digital transformations are more often than not are heavily focused on flashy technology and under focused on people

·?????Empathize with your teams and truly understand the issues before jumping into implementing technology

·?????Have a clear idea of how roles will change in the future and see how technology will bridge that gap. Be open about role changes and ensure constant communication with teams

·?????Foster champions within teams that will contribute to the process and help drive change from within?