Company culture is closely tied to an organization’s beliefs and values. Oftentimes, these values have been established for many years and have played a role in the business’s success. Thus, these beliefs are deeply woven into the fabric of the organization. The culture has been long established, which can create an environment resistant to change. Veterans in the company might think: Our way has worked for us thus far—why change it now?
But resistance to change in the digital era can be detrimental for businesses. Digital transformation is key to remaining competitive in the marketplace. From improving internal processes to providing more efficient customer experiences, digital change is crucial in today’s business climate.
So what can you do to encourage cultural change in your company and foster digital transformation? Here are a few ideas:
- Foster a culture of digital transformation from the top down. The culture of the leadership in your company determines your company’s culture as a whole. If leadership hunkers down and resists change like it’s the plague, that attitude will undoubtedly trickle down into the rest of the organization. Leaders must take ownership of digital transformation within their companies, demonstrating its importance to the rest of the organization.
- Tap into your employees’ desire for positive changes that allow them to perform their job better and reach goals faster. Identify those key players in your company who can use their influence to help you facilitate user adoption of new technologies and strategies.
- Incorporate digital initiatives into your long term goals. Ten years from now, what will your company be able to do, given the digital transformation initiatives you take along the way? Incorporating your digital strategy into your long game will help you focus on adopting technologies that will help you achieve your long term goals.
- Create a culture of continuous change. Technology is rapidly improving and constantly changing the way we live our lives. It’s important for businesses to take advantage of this forward momentum, instead of fearing it and resisting it at every turn. If you can transform your company culture into one that readily adapts to change, you will be one very significant step ahead of the competition. A research report by MIT Sloan identifies businesses that do this well as “digitally mature.” These businesses go beyond simply implementing technology by “aligning the company’s strategy, workforce, culture, technology, and structure to meet the digital expectations of customers, employees, and partners.”
Achieving digital maturity won’t happen overnight. These strategies must be carefully developed and implemented over time. Likewise, company culture will not change instantly. But over time, small, intentional changes can help your company culture evolve and progress toward digital maturity.
