Digital Disruption - The Future of Work

There are many views on the future of Work, including opinions on AI, Robotics, Skills and the impact on businesses, and Leaders must be able to cut through this noise. Sustainable performance will require much more than digital disruption, technology is straightforward, however, the mindsets and behaviours of people are not

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According to MIT Sloan, 66% of businesses have not reached digital maturity, and have not prepared their culture for the future transformation. In reality, what the last 12 months has taught us is that the future is already here and now, and we have accelerated digitally more in the last 18 months than we have over the last decade, with this speed of change accelerating.

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This is causing anxiety, with many people afraid of new technology, often thinking it will replace their jobs. A recent Harvard Business study (Your Workforce Is More Adaptable Than You Think) suggests that managers are more anxious than the workforce and less prepared than their people, with employees being more optimistic about the future with better opportunities and more meaningful jobs.

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Leaders, on the other hand, are struggling to shape the workforce of the future. The problem is that senior executives are focusing mostly on disruptive technologies, with employees being more conscious about the impact of the change, and therefore being more adaptive and optimistic about the future.

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But people do need support, and managers and leaders are not prepared for the journey. Digital Transformation is in essence People Transformation and digital transformation is the path for business growth, with organisational culture being the most critical obstacle to overcome.

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Companies must not just focus on digital transformation; they should also focus on culture and change and while most companies are going through a digital transformation, only a few are thinking about their people in the process, transformation is challenging for everyone.

Technology should serve people, strategy, and innovation, not the other way around.

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Most change initiatives fail because leaders in businesses want to control the transformation. Success requires more than the right business model or technology. Don’t underestimate the emotional journey.

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Technology is straightforward, humans are not. All transformations are people transformation. Get ready now and build a culture that pushes your organisation into the future.