5 ingredients for integrating effective digital transformations

How do you go about integrating new thinking and approaches while running your business? Focusing on these five ingredients should help.

Digital transformation programs are often problematic. There are no “one size fits all” solutions, because every company has a unique starting point in terms of its digital maturity as an organization. Case in point: Nearly all companies need to maintain legacy IT systems because they house vital business data and intelligence.

recent study found With that said, a  recent study found  that almost half of business leaders expect that their business model will cease to exist within five years due to digital disruption. So all companies have an incentive to act quickly. Digital disruption is real, and business-as-usual thinking will increase the chance of your organization going the way of the dodo.

Unfortunately, most companies aren’t set up to manage rapid, drastic change. They are good at what they do, and have years of experience and expertise invested in optimizing current IT systems to handle the “how” and “what” of their particular business model.

Digital transformation is like overhauling a railway network without the luxury of being able to stop the train service for any period of time. You’ll need change agents and change experts, and although you may find some of them in your company, you will likely need to bring in outside help too.

So how do you go about integrating new approaches while running your existing business? How do you reduce risk and increase your chances of success? Here are five suggestions:

Digitally savvy companies have leaders who encourage teamwork, explain their purpose with clarity, and promote an environment of openness and sharing. The particular organizational structure you have in place is less important than getting employee and leaders to embrace these behaviors.

In his book The Management Shift,Vlatka Hlupic shows that many successful companies share a management style characterized by an open mindset, an unbounded culture, strong team cohesion, inspirational leaders, a strong sense of purpose, and passion for the work the company does.

These are the characteristics that 21st century leaders and managers need to handle rapidly changing business landscapes. 

Adding a social business platform or other new digital business components on top of existing systems can provide some help, and even give short-term benefits in key areas. To really transform your business, however, you need a holistic approach. Forrester researchMcKinsey 7-S framework According to recent  Forrester research , most digitally mature businesses recognize that they must break down business silos in order to realize their digital visions. One helpful tool is the McKinsey 7-S framework , which has been tried and tested over decades.