Organizations face many digital transformation challenges as they attempt to innovate and evolve. Rather than getting swept away by lofty promises of agility and empowerment, Distinguished VP Analyst Mary Mesaglio emphasizes the importance of remaining grounded and selective about what truly needs to change. In this video, you’ll discover practical tactics for navigating transformation while avoiding the pitfalls of unrealistic expectations, and learn how to effectively manage the cultural shifts that accompany digital initiatives.
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Overcome Digital Transformation Challenges by Staying Grounded in Change
Video Transcript
Avoid Overpromising Transformation
Don’t levitate.
So, one of the first things that I see when I see transformation messages are people using the words transformation, change, culture, or strategy — one of these big words — and they go, “This is our opportunity to be everything we always wanted to be.” Their message sounds like, “We’re going to be agile, empowered, bold, fast, decisive, innovative, secure, efficient, effective.” And it’s like, no, you’re not. No, you're not. You're going to be exactly what you were yesterday. You’re the same people. You didn’t morph into these superhumans. Don’t ask people to levitate.
Stay Grounded and Selective
So, tactic No. 1 is to stay grounded in what you really want. A test for whether you are doing this, whether you're doing tactic No. 1, is: Is there something you're leaving on the table that you really want but that you're not going to do this time around? If I were taking a vacation with my family, am I going to go to Guatemala, Uganda, Barcelona, Toronto, Paris, that kind of a place? That’s levitating. Or are we going to do the cruise this time and the ski holiday the next time? What are you leaving on the table? What is your ski holiday? What destination are you not going to? What desirable thing are you not doing?
Tell me what’s not changing, the place you’re not going. OK? That’s tactic No. 1: Don’t levitate; stay grounded. Be selective.