The solid digital transformation plan!

A study at MIT found that companies that have embraced a digital transformation of their processes and systems are 26% more profitable than their peers. An outdated study one would argue the numbers yet still ring true today. 

Those who follow me will know my affection for my Edgewalker status. 

I need to rebrand my Future of Work segment to the World of Work (WoW). I do quite fancy WoW as opposed to FoW.

Welcome to the first article under the new WoW banner.

One thing COVID-19 has demonstrated is our ability to act decisively within a brief time. 

This is not to say that all decisions have been the best, yet the ones that stood out from the rest, are the decisions which had a distinct strategy and were a response as opposed to a reaction.

Having a business operations background, one of the checklist items we always needed to confirm to our auditors “Do we have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) in place. For those not versed in this terminology, a BCP ensures continuity of operations with minimal service outage or downtime. Documented, communicated and most importantly tested, it proved to be the ‘lifesaver’ of business.

However, if the BCP was merely a well-articulated document which came out of hiding, once a year, to show off to the auditors, it was no good as the paper it was printed 

COVID-19 has forced every single one of us to implement our Business Continuity Plans. For some, the transition has been seamless, whereas for others, it has been an absolute disaster - and they are still reeling from the shock of not being able to operate ‘normally’.

Having a robust digital plan, very much like a BCP ensures everyone should have access to the same information and systems to do their jobs, irrespective of where they are performing these functions.

Enabling people to focus and ‘get on with the job’ resolves important issues more efficiently.

In the past twenty-five years, continuos focus and pressure have been put on on systems and processes to reduce costs by bringing in more efficiencies and reducing headcount. Paradoxically this has led to more layers in the corporate hierarchy as analysts, consultants and developers have been brought in fix the problem. For many organisations, they have merely kicked the can down the road or passed it onto another team of project managers, analysts and developers.

As we begin to operate in a digitally transformative state, those company leaders who had a reliable response in place, are fast realising that the bureaucratic hierarchies created are now redundant. And the team members they trusted the least have now stepped up and are performing team leadership roles, performing out of their boots being held accountable by their self-management.

WoW, the World of Work is starting to look like a well-oiled machine.

What does the future hold for these digitally transformed companies when we return to our places of work? Well, there are two distinct outcomes.

Happily ever after is where the experiences and maturity of working under lockdown are carried forward into the workplace, and the behaviours and tools embraced during this time are retained and developed further.

Where the story has the potential not to end well, is where an expectation is that when everyone arrives back in the office, everything should revert to normal.

Unfortunately normal no longer exists.

And what about the companies that haven’t got a solid digital transformation plan, you may be asking?

Well, not all is lost. There is a lot to be gained.

The reality is that working remotely isn’t for everyone. However, right now, it’s something for nearly everybody.

Think of the current situation as a “test run” of the total digital operational model.

You may find out it’s everything you dreamed. Or you may decide that office life is for you. Either way, this experience will help make the transition to a more agile and efficient company that much easier.

The World of Work is full of opportunities for team members to step up, managers to coach and support their team members to become the best version of themselves.

The best thing companies can do, right now, is to give the challenge of implementing the best post-COVID-19 operating model to their employees who know the business far better than anyone else.

Want to learn more about how to transform your company through the power of your employees digitally and be successful in the new World of Work, please contact me.

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About Ian Bessarabia

Ian’s coaching methodology focuses on developing his client’s self- awareness, attitude, self- reflection, self-motivation & value drivers. Through Ian’s own experiences he has observed first-hand the powerful changes each individual is capable of making in their lives. Ian uses these experiences to guide and coach his clients to achieve their goals & create the life they desire.

With a deliberate focus on Emotional Intelligence, Ian helps clients to understand the importance of this untapped quality, as a key skill individual can develop and ensure they become relevant and marketable in the workplace of tomorrow.

In addition to coaching, Ian is a popular keynote speaker, futurist, and strategic business advisor. Having spent more than 25 years at some of the world’s largest financial institutions, Ian has a unique insight into the human dynamics that come into play when designing and implementing new technology platforms.

Described as an Edgewalker, Ian traverses the edges between that which is known and that which is emerging.

As a self-proclaimed promoter of positivity, Ian combines his purpose to drive social good through technology. Ian guest lectures and holds workshops on the importance of continuous learning, demonstrated by his achievement of becoming a certified Blockchain Developer, 20 years after completing his first degree.