Put people at the core of your Digital Transformation Strategy
Originally published in the TimeSaved Blog.
Technological change is sweeping every industry and staffing is no exception. And it’s important to remember that digital transformation doesn’t just mean introducing the latest technology and then wishing your team “All the best!” as they attempt to figure out how to incorporate these new tools into their existing processes.
Staffing agencies must be able to put people at the centre of this digital transformation to be truly successful. In order to do this, it’s important to understand that change is situational, whereas transition is psychological.
Transition can be looked at as a three-phase process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the details of the new situation that the change brings about. Recognizing that employees, as well as management, would transition through phases of letting go of the old (ending), getting through the difficult in-between time (neutral zone) and finally accepting the new and coming out of the transition (beginning) could provide structure and direct the flow of the change process.
1. Helping people let go
Digital transformation should not be rushed. It’s important to get your team in the right mindset by communicating early and often about the change. A great way to do this is interviewing employees to understand their hopes and concerns and taking necessary action to put them at ease. When launching a company-wide digital update, testing in small shifts is a great approach.
2. Leading people through the neutral zone
Flip the top-down approach to change and recruit a team of internal change champions. These people will act as a transition management team and develop foundational rules, share best practices, answer employees’ questions and facilitate the change. Forming a team of internal change champions will show that the organization has the teams’ best interest in mind and provide a point of access to the organization’s grapevine allowing correction of misinformation and rumours.
3. Launching a new beginning
You can’t flip a switch and expect people to change, but you can encourage support and reinforce behaviours to make the change stick.
A simple way to do this is to use William Bridges’ 4P formula
- Purpose — Explain the purpose behind the sought outcome.
- Picture — Paint a picture of what the future will look like with the change.
- Plan — Lay out a step-by-step plan for rolling out the outcome.
- Part — Give each team member a part to play in the plan and outcome.
It’s important to acknowledge that people’s reaction to change differ greatly when rolling out new technology. An effective digital transformation puts teams and people at its core allowing organizations to take advantage of new and exciting opportunities.
