When it comes to implementing the digital transformation in the company, we often encounter the problem that the organisation is not ready to innovate. However, innovation is the key to carrying out a real digital transformation that goes beyond the simple implementation of certain technologies.

Promoting a culture of innovation in the company is a critical element to avoid the failure of digital initiatives. If you are going to undertake a digital transformation project, you must ensure that your company’s culture is sufficiently innovative.

If this culture does not exist in your company, stop and work on this change first. Bear in mind that you are going to have to change behaviours that have become established over time, so you must arm yourself with patience and an appropriate strategy to reach a successful conclusion.

Protect what works

Recognising the importance of the existing culture and preserving its strengths will help you to start off on a solid footing that the whole organisation can identify with. Keep in mind that even the biggest flaws in your organization are nothing more than the incorrect development of a vision that was initially as good as any other.

Look for the real pillars on which to develop the new culture within your organization. Identify those departments and employees that are more aligned with innovation and use them as a seedbed to expand your culture throughout the company.

Involves the whole company

The management of the company must lead the cultural change towards innovation. If they do not show innovative behaviour and are not able to properly communicate the strategy, how do they expect the organisation to change?

However, they cannot carry out this task alone either. They need to involve all the leaders in the organisation, ensuring their commitment and alignment with the new culture of innovation. In the end, it is the leaders who help convey and develop this initiative to teams and individuals.

Nor should you forget to involve customers in the process, involving them and understanding the very important role they play in every innovative project, which is ultimately aimed at meeting their needs and improving their experience with our products and services.

Communicate “why”

If people do not understand why the cultural change is taking place, it is difficult for them to want to change, and this leads to significant resistance to change. This is why it is important to communicate the objectives and reasons for change. They need to understand, for example, that the competition is one step ahead of us and we are losing the trust of our clients. Then we can motivate them to be part of the transformation we need.

People work harder if they recognize how their efforts contribute to the organization’s goals and if they feel rewarded for the value they bring to those goals. That is why it is important to connect change to the mission of the company and how it contributes to the benefit of the organization itself, the employees and society. Try to achieve quick wins, small victories that quickly show the benefits of change.

The change begins

Many organisations are comfortable and do not think about innovation when they reach a plateau in their development, delivering quality products and services that provide consistent revenue to the company. However, the advent of digital allows competitors to position themselves above them through new ways of leveraging technology. If it takes too long for a company to realise that it needs to innovate to remain competitive, it may be too late.

The digital transformation has more to do with the company’s strategy and culture than with the technology itself. This implies that when implementing the new culture, IT departments also have to change their way of thinking and stop being mere “executors” in order to understand the needs of the business at a high level and be able to propose truly differentiating solutions.

A few tips to set the change in motion:

  • It encourages team collaboration between different departments, and even with suppliers and customers.
  • It motivates the entire organisation to fearlessly propose ideas that can create value.
  • Assumes that experimenting and taking risks is part of the process.
  • It creates a fluid and agile organisation, capable of responding quickly to any need.