How craftsmanship drives successful transformation
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In today’s society, changes follow each other so quickly that organizations struggle to keep up with the changes. For about 70 percent of organizations that focus on digital transformation, the process costs more than it yields. The most important pitfall is that there is symptom control. Instead of a consciously chosen strategy. A successful transformation is characterized by 3 factors:
- To optimally apply the creativity and involvement of the employees.
- Increase knowledge by analyzing large amounts of data.
- And to apply this knowledge to processes that deliver new and higher added value.
Need to change
The need for change arises from the consequences of technological development:
- The transaction costs in the entire process are reduced, so that information can be distributed digitally much faster.
- Perception of added value has changed. The price for digital goods is now determined by the value that the consumer assigns to them and not by the cost of production.
- New leadership creates new organizational structures that deal more flexibly with changes.
- Physical products are becoming increasingly digital, which means that organizations have to transform.
4th revolution
Most companies are still busy adapting their business model and operation to the transition from the analog to the digital age. This became painfully visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the 4th revolution, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already underway. In order not to miss the boat, companies will have to adapt quickly, but the technical development is so fast that there is a good chance that employees will drop out.
Successful change
An organizational change is mainly people’s work. It is often thought that digitization is mainly about changing structures and systems. However, the success of the change depends on the people who do or do not want to, must, and can change anymore. To go through the digital transformation properly, a continuously learning organization is the means. And this can only be achieved by maximally mobilizing all available knowledge, skills, and involvement of your employees. The core is to increase the willingness of the employees to change. This involves the following three factors:
- The emotions that the change evokes in the employees
- The involvement of employees in the change process
- The added value for the employees of the change.
Craftsmanship is mastery
The changing capacity of an organization grows by investing sufficient manpower, time, and money in the change process. Important in this process is to increase the effectiveness of the change team and to use craftsmanship. Mastering a change process requires specific knowledge and skills. The appointment of a Change Officer, who as a director is responsible for the course of the change process increases the success of the transformation.