In this week's 3@3, Al and Steve discuss the things individuals and organisations should consider before embarking on a transformation programme.
Al kicks off with a hotly debated question in our sector, the definition of 'Digital'. What does digital mean to your business? The answer to this question is usually...it depends. Steve stresses that the best way to tackle this deceptively tricky question is to first assess your organisation's digital purpose. Steve uses an example of a community trust organisation, where a client board or senior stakeholders defined the brief surrounding the DT programme, they believed that the organisation should be using the latest technology in the most advanced way to deliver the most compelling service for their clients. However, when they drilled down further, to understand the requirements better, the board's assertions didn't come from within the organisation, but rather from their perception of how their competition used tech. By bringing the conversation emphasis back to the digital purpose, it was clear the organisational objectives could be fulfilled using their existing technology stack to its full effect. Steve argues that rather than fancy apps and hardware, often the DT spend needs to start on more housekeeping activities or tech such as CRM systems (customer relationship management) and without proper setup and implementation of the more un-glamorous elements of business as usual activities, enhanced DT (addition of new technologies) can not progress and that the purpose should dictate the direction of the DT activities, more than any brief. And that by defining digital purpose, you can be clearer on how to drive value and interactions with your customers. Al talks about market noise and the knee jerk reaction by some boards that see new or emerging 'shiny' technologies as the answer to transformation programmes. And states while aspirational technology is important and has a place in a DT roadmap, if it's not adding value then it probably shouldn't be looked at in the initial part of the change programme. Al talks about the importance of visioning techniques when defining digital aspirations and the importance of shifting mindsets. Al talks about where skills requirement training comes into the DT journey and suggests that mindset is key here (citing Carol Dweck's book Mindset). Businesses need a mix of fixed and growth mindset to get things done now but also to adapt to the future. He talks about the importance of bringing the fixed mindset employee with you to strip away worry and re-frame the new as an opportunity for the business and individuals alike. They discuss the false notion that Digital Transformation automatically means a people are going to lose jobs and everything is going to be automated. And goes into detail how you might combat that fear, using real-world examples.
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AlMorrisTransformation Lead, This is Milk The Impact of culture on Digital TransformationCompany culture is a term that is often heard when advertising a business to prospective employees, however the implications of culture run deeper than the perks of a job.
As we move towards a world that adapts and changes at break neck speeds to the needs of the customer, it is essential that the culture of your business matches your transformative qualities. It is no longer enough to strive for fun, friendly & Pizza Tuesdays. Digital transformation requires a level of commitment to change that allows the transformation to progress quickly and naturally. Research from Boston Consulting Group found that 79% of companies tested that addressed culture change sustained strong performance, this compared to 0% for those that neglected culture change. (40 companies tested) Al MorrisTransformation Lead, This is Milk (((Blog updated 15th May 2018, to update our programme structure))) This is Milk are proud & excited to launch our 12-month career development programme, officially kicking off with the first cohort on the 18th of June 2018. This programme has been designed with industry to tackle the digital skills gap that currently exists and is crippling digital projects in Scotland. Digital projects have outgrown the talent pool and traditional project roles don't perform the job we need today or for the future. We believe that Scotland, which has a digital industry which is invested into with £13.8 Billion a year has been
previously unequipped to solve the acknowledged digital skills gap that is affecting us all. The This is Milk Digital Transformation Programme has been designed as a solution to this issue by teaching the skills required to successfully facilitate digital projects and excel in careers including:
Al MorrisTransformation Lead, This is Milk What we learned at the 'Jobs of the future' MilkBar event, March 2018.If one thing was learned from our #MilkBar event last week, it’s that STEM, should really be STEAM. With the 'A' representing the arts!
We are living in the 'Age of Information', a period of time that is characterised by the shift from industrial production to one based on information and computerisation (Wikipedia). Nearly all business's are digital, or at least partly digital. So as time progresses how is this computerisation impacting Business and the roles/skills of the workers? Bringing together some of the top minds in Scottish Digital Transformation, This is Milk held the first #MilkBar of 2018 at Tontine Glasgow on the 16th of March. An event created to educate & discuss the topic 'Jobs of the Future'. Al MorrisTransformation Lead, This is Milk Following on from Tackling the digital projects skills gap - part 1 blog, this 2nd edition looks to show you what This is Milk are doing to resolve this issue. If you haven't read the first blog yet, do so now and we will see you in a minute. Digital Launchpad - Tackling the digital projects skills gap - Part 2Doing what we do best So we now know that there is a massive skills gap in Scotland, for professionals that are equipped with the skills needed to understand and research customer needs, taking those right the way through the project, from end to end.
This is Milk have been exploring ways to create a talent pipeline around these digital project skills. Our solution is to create a job that does not currently exist. At the moment we're calling this A Customer Analyst - however the name is still up for grabs. A Customer Analyst has the full understanding and skills needed to cradle a digital project from it's initial conception all the way through to project delivery. It takes the vital skills of business analysis, user research, strategy, service design and project/product management and amalgamates into a role that will change the way digital projects are delivered forever. |
Angela Prentner-SmithManaging Consutant, This is Milk Archives
March 2021
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