‘Organisational transformation requires iterative processes
Published on : Sunday 20-10-2019
Digitalisation is imperative, but enterprises are still struggling with implementation. How can begin the process?
There are three points here.
Use of data: The process must begin with the meaningful use of data. A differentiated analysis of data based on clearly defined questions.
Tackle internal process/stakeholder level resistance: Silent or passive resistance is an enormous challenge for companies. Organisations need to communicate information about transformation consistently and accurately, as well as explain and facilitate understanding and acknowledgement of unpopular measures. Organisational transformation requires iterative processes.
Process of acceptance to change: It is important to show employees at an early stage how and where they can contribute to transformation and new organisational forms. Regular workshops may reduce the need for ongoing explanation and help secure acceptance and compliance. It is often more sensible to give support to the individuals who wish to take the company forward rather than those who wish to impede the transformation process, and to scale activities on the edge of the business where change is not imperative.
Good organisational transformation is no simple matter – it is a craft that needs to be learned. The companies surveyed estimate that on average, only two in every ten organisational transformation projects are very successful, while four proceed acceptably and the remaining four fails to meet their goals.
For many organisations, the stumbling block is the silos, which ironically, digitalisation seeks to break. Is this a classic chicken and egg story?
As a concept the whole effort in the automation industry is slowly moving from an enterprise-wide and certainly ecosystem-wide digital transformation perspective. Companies have slowly come to realise that the success of organisational change/transformation, scaling on the edge of the business, new partnerships, innovation beyond the product and the use of new business models are all strongly linked to a healthy corporate culture. So not in complete agreement, that it is a chicken and egg story, but organisations have realised that transformation is both mindset and technology coupled to bring in change.
Is joining one of the digital platforms the only way for an average enterprise?
Average enterprises have a much more pertinent question to answer before even the platform. The cost and the realistic expectation out of the platforms and the subsequent integration. Digital transformation is a fancy to stay on the top, but what is important is to vet whether at the org level – Am I there yet?
Often, companies get bogged down in discussing technologies rather than outcomes. How should an effective CTO deal with this?
Every leader in an organisation needs to “understand technology” in the same way or for the same purposes. It is of utmost importance to have someone in the C-suite who is responsible for knowing which new, potentially disruptive technologies are surfacing, to grasp both the dangers and the opportunities they pose for the firm, and to see and act across the organisation to help formulate and execute a company-wide response. That’s where a CTO plays pivot.
A CTO’s redressal steps to the digitalisation equation:
• Curiosity to learn about potentially relevant new technologies coming online or in development
• Perceptiveness to see the implications and possible uses of such technologies
• External networks (including with actors such as universities, start-ups, and venture capital), and
• Mastery of basic systems in engineering; and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
Finally, is multiplicity of vendors creating conflict in the process?
Vendor management in any business is an integral part of the entire resource plan system. With a larger agenda like Digital Transformation, smaller integrative platforms for vendor management mitigate conflicts that arise from multiplicity of vendors. This alone would not qualify to be a large hindrance to the overall transformation effort, if the strategy is objectivised.
Francis Padamadan is a seasoned Talent Management Professional with more than 13 years of experience in the Recruitment and Staffing Industry. Francis is a graduate in Commerce and has a Master’s Degree in Personnel Management from Pune University.
Francis currently is the Country Director for Kelly’s Outsourcing and Consulting Business in India that includes the CWO and RPO business. In his previous role at Kelly, Francis managed the largest operations team and was responsible for 13 P&Ls. Key Account Management and National Sales was a responsibility that he used to run with dedicated teams across India. Francis has also been pivotal in building the scale of Kelly’s Direct Hiring business in India.