Effective change management for your digital evolution – Part 1

A digital evolution is only as effective as the people behind it. This makes effective change management a key factor in any successful digital transformation. In this three-part post we will present six change management tips to help you meet challenges that may arise during your digital evolution.

Tip #1 – Know the culture

No meaningful change can occur without the full participation of groups and individuals, each of which is motivated by a complex interaction of motivations, concerns and everyday habits. Collectively, these variables make up the culture of the organization.

For successful change management during a digital transformation, start by assessing the culture of the organization you’re working in. Look for the different organizational values, risks and even personal hang-ups that contribute to the overall motivation of the organization’s workforce.

For example, are you working in a commercial culture where pay raises, bonuses, promotions and job satisfaction all correlate directly with the company’s bottom line? If so, emphasize how digitization will directly reduce expenses while at the same time increasing revenue generation by using real world scenarios and numerical values.

Tip #2 – Someone has to own it

In order for your initiative to be optimally effective, accountability should be established at the highest levels of the organization. Executive sponsorship (and ownership) is especially important if you hope to tap into those cultural values and motivators discussed in Tip #1. Having the endorsement of thought leaders will go a long way in highlighting the need for digitization processes in a fast-paced world where multiple issues and approaches constantly vie for attention.

For example, most information management professionals know that digital recordkeeping can reduce administrative costs and time to market for an organization focussed on reducing expense and increasing revenue. But that doesn’t make it a priority for managers and staff whose daily business objectives are not focused on records management. Contrast that with a scenario where the same digitization benefits are touted by a CEO, CFO or other senior leader. Having those benefits verbalized by the same person who brought forward the organizational goals in the first place is a great way to get staff on board with a digitization initiative.

In our next post we will explore how inclusivity and addressing concerns face on are important for the success of your change management strategy during a digital evolution.

Next Steps
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Read our guide: Manage change? Yes you can for more helpful insights on change management techniques
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