Saturday, June 3, 2017

Is Digital Transformation Every One’s “Cup of Tea”?

The organizations with the culture of empowerment and democratic meritocracy will reap the benefits of amplifying collective human capabilities and unleashing the full digital potentials.


Digital transformation is a leapfrogging business change. Business will be more successful when they realize that one of their greatest strengths will be their people. One of the biggest challenges facing companies all over the globe is how to create a changing momentum, build and sustain the business competency, thrive with talent abundance, and make collective human progress. Organizations need to set good policies, enforce broad collaborations and encourage positive competitions. Digital leaders should continue to ask themselves: Do we have a clear vision and a comprehensive road map for leading digital transformation? Are we taking a systematic approach to lead forward? Is the organizational hierarchical structure flexible enough to adapt to changes? Do people have the growth mindset to ride above the learning curve? Is digital transformation every one’s “Cup of Tea”?

Digital is neither my way nor your way, it’s the better way: Change is never for its own sake, it’s the process to explore the better way to do things, to create the momentum from chaos to order, surviving to thriving. Thus, don’t fear of out-of-the-box thinking, in fact, digital change leaders need to be the outliers who can step out of the conventional thinking box or linear pattern frequently, so they could see things further or deeper or simply different. During business transformation scenario, although you can change an outcome directly, its overall effect is limited and it is hard to sustain if the underlying processes as well as collective mentality won’t change. It becomes much more powerful if you first change your intention, or thinking behind it. Inclusiveness and the celebration of diversity is a forcing function for most organizations. Change is not always innovation, but innovation is absolutely the most desired changes. It is important to create the dynamic working atmosphere encouraging creativity and avoid group thinking. Don’t fear of out-of-the-box thinking, but be scared if too many mindsets lag behind the digital era we live in. To be truly creative means challenging conventional wisdom and beliefs, and making progress intellectually and psychologically. Keep in mind, change for progression, neither my way nor your way, it’s about exploring the better way to do things.

Lead, not just follow: Digital advocates open leadership, people all lead in the different level depends on their breadth of influence and depth of expertise. Hence, when the rule is fair, digital transformation is supposed to be everyone’s “cup of tea.” The best way to end up where everybody else is, is to follow the majority guidance on where to go at every turn. A business transformation often needs to break down the outdated rules, create the long-range perspective, and focuses on goals of innovation. That makes “creativity” a unique trait for transformational leadership. Thus, digital is raising the bar for both leadership and followership due to the "VUCA" digital normality, it means that you can lead based on your knowledge and expertise, you should also be open to embracing the diverse viewpoint; regardless of your position, you have to practice your independent thinking muscle, and do not follow blindly. Improvement of oneself does not only happen in just one day. Every day you will learn new things and new styles. Becoming a leader is about being a better person, being committed, to yourself, others, growth, and finding that passion for leading in a better way.

Demythify digital egalitarianism and meritocracy: The word "egalitarianism" comes from the French alteration of "equalitarian." The French borrowed the term from the Latin "aequalitatem." It is the belief that all people should be equal. While meritocracy is a system in which the talented people are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their talent or achievement, not based on the class of privilege. Digital is the age of people-centricity. In order to be engaged or motivated, employees must believe that the organization operates on a real meritocracy basis and everyone has an opportunity to work hard and succeed. Digital is everyone’s cup of tea. However, the reality is that the organizational structures and relationships with and between employees were designed for a very different age. The rule needs to be updated to reflect the digital trends and the systems, structures, or processes should be optimized for letting capability shine and triggering creativity.  More often, workers are asked to be "engaged" inside and outside the company environment, at the same time, many companies don't have the mechanisms or interest in engaging employees outside the work environment. And many digital professionals still get stuck at the concept that the job is the place they go every working day to do some routine tasks, without spending enough time on practicing creativity or pursuing autonomy, discovery or mastering. High-innovative organizations should understand their talent via the digital lens, to hunt for change potential (learning agility, seeing opportunity in uncertainty), Intellectual potential (thinking thoroughly and making sound judgments) and Motivational potential (adapting personal drive and focus on performing well in new and changing context.)

As changes are expedited for both business and individuals, neither business nor life is linear these days. Digital should be the fairer games with updated rules and renewal dynamism because the business and the world are so hyperconnected and interdependent, everything becomes so transparent, and truly there is nothing you can hide. Being who you are is the prerequisite for stepping into the right game to fit your strength. Either at the individual or organizational level, developing the unique set of competencies to adapt to unpredictable is critical, and the best curve one can compete is the ability to leap from one learning curve to the next. The organizations with the culture of empowerment will reap the benefits of amplifying collective human capabilities and unleashing the full digital potentials. Make digital everyone's "cup of tea."


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