Triggering a Digital Transformation Mindset

Starting the digital transformation process within companies is always a complex process that requires a change in mentality.

Even though digital and technological developments flood our lives to the point of generating dependency, when doing our daily work, we find ourselves facing obsolete tools and processes.

For example, we depend on real-time geolocation technologies and applications, such as Waze and Google Maps, to optimize our routes daily. However, within companies it is common for supply and shipping logistics to be updated manually through emails, calls and with delays in the information of hours or days beyond the immediacy of the applications.

Another frequent case is in the monitoring of financial information when banking and crypto applications always have online information about our own cash flow. Despite the existence of these technologies, in the business world, cash flow review periods can still be monthly or quarterly and are based on the consolidation of numerous data files and presentations that by their nature take days and entire teams to complete.

Along these lines, we could continue citing examples of how technological developments have been fully adopted in our personal lives yet despite this, they are not fully reflected in the daily lives of many companies around the world.

We could say that risk aversion, bureaucratic processes, the complexity of business structures, and lack of knowledge are factors that influence business delays in adopting new digital technologies. To counteract these factors, leaders must trigger a digital transformation mindset in their teams.

In order to permeate this mindset, it is important to persist in the following stages that, although they are not exclusive, will undoubtedly trigger the digital transformation in any company:

• Overcome resistance to change

• Explore success stories and benchmarks

• Optimize and question existing processes

• Implement agile methodologies that encourage short iterations

• Achieve a discipline in cultural change

• Leverage results to nurture change

• Maintain a growth mindset

• Overcome resistance to change

This is undoubtedly the first stage that leaders face when wanting to make any cultural change. People are normally used to their “status quo” and prefer to maintain it to avoid leaving their comfort zone. Here, you will find comments such as: “We have already tried that and it doesn't work,” “Why change something that is already working well,” “It's not as bad as it seems” and others.

• Explore success stories and benchmarks

The success stories, in addition to helping us to overcome the previous stage, will have a double benefit: firstly, they give us the tools to effectively attack our own problems and secondly, they nurture the company's culture of transformation.

The way to explore success stories is quite simple: it can be done by visiting companies that do it particularly well and have already transformed, by creating spaces, such as forums, so that company employees can hear directly from leaders who have experienced this change, or even attend fairs and courses that are aligned with digital transformation.

With this, people will begin to think positively and differently in order to transform themselves and generate that ambition to achieve the same success.

• Optimize and question existing processes

While what is outside is explored, it is essential to generate a review of the processes that are currently used within the company. While benchmarks present the best way to do things, it is important to guide teams in reviewing their day-to-day processes.

In this review, the fact that most of the time is spent in manual, repetitive processes with little added value should be questioned instead of making use of digital automation and simplification tools, such as RPA robots, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence.

• Implement agile methodologies that encourage short iterations

Several agile methodologies exist and are already common, such as SCRUM, which contrasts with the traditional way of carrying out processes and projects.

Previously, the interaction between different departments and the timing of  the evolution of the processes was complex and slow. With the use of agile methodologies, it is possible to have short progress cycles and a close relationship between the people involved. This is undoubtedly a trigger for digital transformation in companies.

• Achieve a disciplined cultural change

Achieving a cultural transformation requires discipline and consistency. It cannot be expected that a single kick-off event will detonate a lasting transformation. It is necessary to hold periodic events, implement a constant communication process, and accompany the cultural change with human resources so that it really lasts over time.

• Leverage results to nurture change

As the transformation begins to flourish, some new results will emerge, such as the implementation of new technologies, savings in time and resources, and even improvement in the results and KPIs of the company. It is important to understand these results and recognize them as part of the transformation process in order to generate a virtuous circle that lasts over time.

Finally, it will be key to maintain an attitude of growth, as Carol Dweck highlights  in her mindset book, which implies seeking continuous improvement and being open to learning. With these steps , the mentality of digital transformation in companies will undoubtedly be detonated.