The culture defines your vision, and the culture defines your people. Yet, in order to achieve the first, we need the second. This “culture” is our company’s personality – and it encompasses everything. From the way it promotes itself to the way it treats its employees and everything in between.
For this reason, if the culture of our company is not in line with our goals, chances are that, unfortunately, any transformation process will go down the drain. And it makes sense! After all, everything is in their hands. So, this is even more accurate when our business undergoes a major transformation and process automation.
Indeed, any type of change, digital technology especially unwanted change, usually comes with stress and difficult situations that not many of us cannot experience without breaking down. And it’s okay! But we need to remember that whether or not digital transformation appears – the change – is what drives our business forward. This is particularly true, especially in today’s world, where the entire market can be turned upside down overnight.
Let’s continue this game of imagination! You’re still the manager of your company, and you’re eager to implement a transformation process in the business. You are excited about the potential advantages, but now you’re aware of this problem that might lie ahead. What if it all goes wrong? What if you are not prepared to adapt to the transformation? Do you have the mindset necessary to go into this endeavor?
But let’s face it – business transformation, or digital transformation, is more than just implementing tools that can streamline processes and training our people on how to use them. It’s about breaking old habits and embracing new ones, it’s about embracing the fact that what used to work doesn’t really work anymore, and it’s all about having a mindset that is open to change and growth. And it’s on us, as managers, to encourage all of these.
There’s no doubt that Satya Nadella’s mantra was the reason why Microsoft is still one of the leaders in our society. When he became CEO, Microsoft was still dealing with bureaucracy, internal politics, and an overall toxic culture, which led to them struggling to keep up with their competitors.
However, under his leadership, the company underwent a cultural transformation that focused on empathy and curiosity. Nadella made it clear that the company’s culture needed to change, and he took concrete steps to make it happen. He shifted the focus from a “know-it-all” culture to a “learn-it-all” one, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and development. Not only that, but he empowered employees to take risks and experiment, creating a culture of innovation and creativity.
“Culture is how an organization thinks and acts, but individuals shape it.”
All of this sounds amazing! But Satya Nadella’s statement just proves that all of this would not be possible if our employees had been against this change. Microsoft’s business transformation has been proven to be one of the most successful changes, demonstrating that no matter what we want to achieve, people are our base.
To achieve this, we need to speak with our employees, conduct surveys, and even hold 1-1 meetings that can help them better understand the purpose of the transformation. The key to success in business is having happy employees combined with a fine culture. This will translate into checked objectives.
In fact, it’s critical and recommended to begin with a clear message that connects employees and matches them with the development of business processes. They should know what they are in for. If you, as an employee, are not aware of the change or what the new objectives are, it will affect your productivity and also the outcomes of the transformation process.
On the other hand, if you are a business owner, you need to listen to your employees’ concerns and respect their input. Communication is an essential process! Without it, every implementation will collapse. And that’s not all! Allow employees to give feedback during and after the specific process is implemented. Business transformation and digital transformation need to be sustained with the help of everyone involved in the company.
Transforming a business is an exhilarating and difficult process, and when people don’t support it, it’s even harder. So, we have to remember that the success of any change is directly influenced by the culture. After all, when everyone is fighting for the same goal, everything will become easier, and we, as a company, will be stronger.
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