Telecom & Technology Consulting
On the surface, digital transformation is perceived as implementing technologies to update how corporations operate. How they market products, how employees collaborate and provide customer service, how supply chains work, how customers experience the brand. Yet the formula isn’t complete without the people who bring the right mindset to the transformation. A digital transformation isn’t a project or a means to an end – it’s a complete shift in culture and how the staff executes their roles each day.
Leaders tend to seek individuals with the requisite job titles, such as data scientists, digital consultants, and AI engineers. What’s more important, however, is to educate and train people to have the right perspective on digital transformation. In that way, your strategy for securing and developing talent must align with your long-tern business strategy.
As such, it’s not enough to merely require digital transformation training and seminars. New and current talent need to be able to connect the dots between knowledge and what they’re supposed to do with it, be it improving operational productivity, enhancing the of quality decision-making, fostering greater customer satisfaction, and other organizational benefits.
These results are critical. Employees may understand digital transformation on an intellectual and conceptual level, they may understand that goal X requires the implementation of technology Y, but true success only occurs when they can close the gap between factual information and the required action. More so, by going beyond training, they can apply the lessons to actual use cases and, in turn, be able to grow within the various stages of digital transformation implementation.
Further growth – and thus improved digital transformation – happens when leaders motivate employees by applauding their efforts. We’re all aware of the standard cycle of development, evaluation, promotion, and increased financial compensation. However, only the best and most accomplished ever see the fruits their labor and dedication to the organization. For the majority of tech workers, actual promotion rarely occurs, due in part to the size of the enterprise and the inherently limited amount of management, supervisor, and executive roles available at a given time.
This is why tech leaders should consider developing rewards that are more immediate and accessible. They should create internal and external recognition programs for their work in digital transformation initiatives. When your staff gains awards, they are recognized by their peers, and consequently receive priceless emotional rewards. And something powerful happens: They feel a boost of self-esteem and confidence, which then fuels their motivation to tighten their digital transformation skills even more.
An interesting benefit of recognition programs is that it enhances recruiting efforts. If you promote your practice of employee praise on social media, you will boost appeal of joining the company. Not only because potential employees will perceive you as a place that treats workers well, but also because they’ll have a chance to be part of cutting-edge digital transformation projects.
Remember that as a CIO or CTO, your job goes beyond being the technical visionary. You’re equally responsible for developing talent and motivating people to work in unison toward organizational goals. In fact, talent development is perhaps the greatest investment you can make toward successful digital transformation.
Even the most accomplished tech leaders can’t be blamed for getting blinded by the latest technologies and tools. But when distilled to its essence, it’s your people who will make or break your initiatives today and well into tomorrow. When developing talent, it’s not so much about teaching skills for executing digital transformation projects, it’s about creating a department that will continually evolve to meet the requirements of the market, investors, and the organization.
