What is the biggest digital transformation barrier business leaders face?
The biggest digital transformation challenge face by business leaders is failing to obtain buy-in to initiatives throughout the wider organisation. Often this is due to selecting the wrong, and too broad a business case in the first instance and applying ‘technology for technology’s sake, which can lead to a misalignment of expectations and in some cases poor ROI. It is good for organisations to be ambitious, but when deploying any new technology, it is important not to ‘eat the elephant whole’, so identifying one viable use case as a starting point is essential. In addition, organisations need to truly understand their objectives and the technologies available in the market to achieve their goals. In doing so, businesses will be able to demonstrate success and overcome some of the wider organisational barriers to digital transformation.
Are skills shortages hindering digital transformation?
This is entirely dependent on the technology being implemented and approach of the organisation. Digital transformation projects are often the responsibility of IT departments, who are under increasing pressure to deliver to tight deadlines and within decreasing budgets. In this scenario, digital transformation projects are often delayed in favour of more pressing functional tasks.
What leadership skills are essential to a successful digital transformation strategy?
To ensure digital transformation projects are a success, leaders must understand the needs and requirements of their teams alongside the business objectives. Through understanding this, you can better understand the impact technology might have on daily roles and instigate strategies to minimise disruption and resistance. Through communicating planned changes and listening to feedback, leaders can create an environment that not only embraces change but also a culture of continual improvement and innovation. As such leaders need to possess attributes which help to nurture and develop employees from both a professional and personal perspective. To enable this, a mentoring approach to leadership is required, and it is essential that a leader is patient, compassionate and empathetic.
