Lots of organizations believe that once the outcomes of their digital transformation plan are visible, everyone in the organization will start embracing and appreciating the new technologies. But this is not how people work. You must be aware of that already, no matter much improvement a technology brings, people still may not like it.
As a change ambassador, you need to embrace your role and learn how to build a relationship with the employees and implement change in an effective way. The people from the technological side may not be as reluctant as the people from the management side.
So, how do you help your colleagues, partners, and peers embrace the changes which are necessary for your organization to survive?
Digital transformation calls for a lot of rearrangement in human relationships. For successful implementation, it is important to include people and the social side of the change in all your communications. It will become easier with these 5 steps:
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Outline Your Vision
Why are you undergoing digital transformation? To help people interact more easily right? So let your people know how the new digital solutions will improve their experience.
Map the People Flow of the Digital Project
To understand what human relationships are changing, you and your team may have to interview colleagues to understand whom they interact with on a daily basis. There might be key knowledge owners in the people flow who if removed or replaced with technology can disrupt the workflow. This is why it is pertinent to acknowledge the gaps these new changes can bring and come up with solutions to fill them.
Be Honest About the Social Change
Often, firms try to sugarcoat the social changes and sell technical benefits. This will shatter trust between you and people. This could even make them resist more. It is, therefore, recommended to be as honest about the change as possible. Take time to explain the benefits this change will bring and connect everything back to the vision.
Seek People Validation
Once the system is in place, study people’s interactions. Engage with the local managers and maybe even set up a focus group to gather feedback. Accept whatever feedback you receive even the negative comments. This will help you deliver more value to the system. Once it is embraced and adopted by the people, it will bring more success.
Build Trust with Face to Face Interactions
All technology leaders must be accessible during the process of digital transformation. If you want people to trust you, they must feel you first. It is not really possible to build a connection through web conferences only. It is important to make some time and be in the room with the stakeholders. They must see the passion you have towards supporting an initiative like this. This will also be an opportunity to address concerns directly.
The knowledge, skills and leadership abilities of a tech lead are central to the success of not just the organization but the entire digital transformation process.
