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Drive Digital Transformation

It’s no secret that technology has aided the attempt to keep the normalcy going through the various aspects of work and life affected by the pandemic. But, we have to keep in mind that technology and digital transformation was already causing disruption in certain industries. Production processes were being affected by the increasing number of digital platforms. The kind of jobs were changing rapidly as well, also because of the scaling up of digital platforms. Jobs that did not even exist 5 or 10 years ago were available in abundance because of these digital platforms. The previously elusive work-from-home jobs were becoming far from elusive. Even in industries where it wasn’t very common. The very nature of jobs was changing quite rapidly, and all this before the world was hit by a debilitating pandemic.

But when the pandemic hit, technology was put on overdrive. Those who adapted easily, suffered less. And after this much time, it is clear that if you don’t adapt you won’t survive. There’s no doubt left in the matter any more. Especially since there is no definite end to the pandemic in sight. So the technological advancement you might have been planning over the next few years, needed to be sped up to the immediate future.

According to the COVID-19 Digital Engagement Report by Twilio COVID-19 accelerated companies’ digital communications strategy by a global average of 6 years. The leading cloud communications and customer engagement platform surveyed over 2,500 enterprise decision makers in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Singapore.

To be able to adapt to the digital transformation that’s taking over the entire world you need to reevaluate everything.

Change your mindset

If there ever was a time to cross over to the side of technology and embrace it, this is it. Your mindset is the first thing that needs to be reevaluated. Because it is a huge change. If your company was not already going through a digital transformation then this might be harder than you would like, but necessary. Whether you consider your customers or your employees, digital is the way to survive through the pandemic’s devastating effects. So really reevaluate what might be hindering your mindset to truly transform into a company that is relevant today and will be in the future.

Nurture continuous innovation

A culture of continuous innovation is a culture that will ensure the survival and growth of a company. If you want your company to thrive, you will need to harbor this culture of continuous innovation continuously. Through the pandemic, things have been changing every week if not every day. How can a brand keep up with that? By continuously innovating. The kind of rapid change we have experienced throughout these past seven months will continue. Until the pandemic is over, if that is the case, and after that, with the post-pandemic recovery. So it’s best to adapt a nature of survival and growth, which is continuous innovation.

The best way to do this is to consider the Berkeley Executive Program in Management (Berkeley EPM). It is a distinguished general management program that steeped in the innovation ecosystem of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco-Bay Area and aims to prepare you for the next level of leadership.

Reevaluate the structure of the organization

Before the pandemic, certain companies had a certain hierarchy and structure of employees and business. Shuffle what was and reconstruct your organization to better tackle the current situation keeping technology at the forefront. Rethink the skills you need to move ahead and train your employees. Consider the skills that are more important now and enable your employees to be prolific at more than one skill. Skills such as cognitive skills, problem-solving, behavioral and social skills, soft skills, critical thinking, etc. are the kind of skills you need. Skills that can not be replaced by technology and machinery have more value now. While technology in itself plays an important role too in conjunction with employees with these skills.

Widen employment structures

The standard full-time 9-5 structure no longer holds the power it once did. Consider the kind of employment you can provide to employees that will not only serve you but also them. The gig-economy is thriving for many at this time, but it is also being adopted and adapted to corporate jobs where employees are forced to work remotely. Even these jobs are now functioning through online digital platforms. So reevaluate the conditions and contracts to be more flexible. While skepticism dictates the flexibility will reduce dedication, the opposite is more true. So, as the first point stated, change your mindset and construct more flexible contracts. It is more likely that employees will be far more productive and effective, when they can find a balance between work and everything else.

Employ digital platforms

While this might not be possible for all, consider platforms that aid the gig economy. Chances are, much of the skills you need, you will find there. Sites like Truelancer, Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, etc. are picking up popularity across the world.

Up your internal tech game

No work day is complete without a Zoom meeting. At least since March this year. Employ other digital platforms to help boost productivity and teamwork. Some great examples are Trello, Asana, Basecamp, Monday.com, Microsoft Teams, Bitrix 24, Salesforce Chatter, Slack, etc. If you don’t already, get a cloud service for all your company data. Train your employees to use productivity apps like these to retain the feeling of teamwork and an office. It’s just that this office has a different structure. This is key to adapt to digital transformation.

Know your customer

If you thought you knew your customer before, you don’t anymore. At least not as well as you should. Because your customer doesn’t know how they themselves are changing. So if there was ever a time to really read your customer, this is it. This is what will truly help you drive change the way you need to.

Looking to the rest of 2020, it is still foggy and uncertain. Some parts of 2021 might be too. And that’s as far as we are looking at right now. So the only thing that is certain is that the near future is uncertain. From the months that have passed, digital transformation seems to have naturally accelerated and hence helped some stay afloat. To ensure survival, recovery, and ultimately growth, digital transformation is unavoidable.

Summary

Q. Why is changing your mindset the most important shift to digital transformation?
A. Mindset might be the real hindrance to truly transform to a digital first company that is relevant today and will also be in the future.

Q. Why is a corporate structure overhaul needed?
A. The standard full-time 9-5 structure no longer functions like it did before the pandemic. Various types of work structures are thriving even more so now during the pandemic. And to be able to truly adapt, corporate jobs need to be more flexible.

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