Culture-aligned shift hastens digital transformation

The business environment is changing from being just profitable to being more socially responsible. Across the region, businesses either thrive or struggle depending on their ability to quickly adapt to evolving ways of working. In addition, they need to have the capacity for supporting and motivating their staff throughout an incredibly challenging period.

Business environment is changing from being just profitable to being more socially responsible

Digital transformation takes more than technology alone. Business continuity has become the main concern of all companies, and working from anywhere is crucial today. Organisations are obliged to follow the evolving trend to survive.

Business continuity mixed with agility and real-time service becomes the new way of dealing with businesses. Implementing this should take into account culture, especially in Middle East and Africa, MEA, where culture has a significant impact on doing business. In order to do business together, people need to meet, exchange ideas, and discuss. They can now rely on digital tools, but this can never replace the human contact which this region is known for.

Nearly 30% of companies with successful digital transformations offer training programmes that cover not just technical skills, but also new behaviours and mindsets. One related key to transformation success is establishing practices related to working in flexible ways. As organisations prepare for and work through a digital transformation, it is vital to create a culture in which everyone is tech-savvy. But digital transformation calls for more than just updating technology or redesigning products.

One related key to transformation success is establishing practices related to working in flexible ways

Failure to align the effort with employee values and behaviours can create additional risks to an organisation’s culture, if not managed properly. In contrast, a comprehensive and collaborative effort can help shift the culture to understand, embrace, and advance digital transformation. A culture-aligned transformation reduces challenges and avoids roadblocks.

Leaders can focus on messages communicating the cultural attributes that may help the efforts succeed, including transparency, accountability, and a willingness to experiment. Employees may be understandably apprehensive about the reopening of workplaces, and leaders need to listen carefully to what they are saying and feeling.

Effective leaders will formulate a clear vision of the transformation and effectively communicate it throughout the organisation on an ongoing basis. Companies are going to need to reframe their futures around very different digital behaviours. It is crucial to create a culture where everyone is tech-savvy, and where risk is everyone’s business. With better preparation and more warning of potential disruptions, you adapt much faster.

Collaborative effort can help shift the culture to understand, embrace and advance digital transformation, thus reducing challenges and roadblocks.