'Without an overall strategy with a detailed change plan, people may be unsure about what to prioritise'
While every organisation may be different, one thing that unites them all is the need to skilfully manage digital transformation, according to a report by Humanforce.
The report highlights the importance of having a people-centric approach to digital transformation to prevent the likelihood of its failure. It referenced research from the likes of McKinsey and Company, and Gartner, which found that 70% of all change initiatives fail.
“With the focus often solely on the technical and process changes required, which of course are critical, it’s possible the end-users, your own workers, have been left out of the equation,” the Humanforce report said. “A people-centric approach could change this, leading to higher user adoption and more successful change outcomes.”
Change management for deskless workers
Humanforce’s report, Supporting your digital transformation: A human-centric approach to technology change management identifies not only ways to navigate change, but how to do so effectively with deskless workers as well.
One of the key issues the report mentions is the idea that ‘digital exclusion’ is real. Some deskless workers, for example mature age workers, may not be adept at using technology and my feel excluded when new technology tools are launched. Plus, some younger users may also feel frustrated if a particular tool is inadequate.
The report suggested that employers consider the needs of individual employees and gradually introduce new technologies.
“Remember, if it’s frustrating for workers to use the tools, job satisfaction will decrease and user adoption will plummet,” the report said. “Appropriate training and having one user-friendly interface for all tech solutions can help simplify the transition.”
Further strategies for managing change
Another step for employers to take is to review their existing work processes. Change shouldn’t be done just for the sake of it; instead find the genuine pain points workers have, the report said. You can do this by asking them where any bottlenecks or inefficiencies may be happening.
“Without an understanding of existing work processes, or how people use technology (if it exists at all), there’s a danger of adding tools that don’t achieve much or result in extra stress for workers,” the report said.
In addition, employers should have an overarching strategy with a change plan, the report said.
“Without an overall strategy with a detailed change plan, people may be unsure about what to prioritise, new and old processes can overlap…and there’s a general confusion about what needs to be done, in what order.”
Read more tips about change management in Humanforce’s report: Supporting your digital transformation: A human-centric approach to technology change management
