While companies across the board may be talking up digital transformation through external disruption, it is the internal threat that is proving to be more difficult to manage. Many especially at the middle management level are particularly hostile to the ideas because they perceive the transformation to be time-consuming and thus to strip off productivity in the near-term. Many fear unintended consequences of digitization. Middle managers in particular feel particularly threatened due to the fact that this working style based around data and business analytics takes away from them a sense of control they’ve been used to. Another reason may simply be a genuine questioning of the value of each idea. While the innovators may jump at the opportunity to do new things, a lot of such ideas may simply lack the forcefulness to be hits. Digital transformation needs to be at three levels- cultural, structures and people. The change agent expected to resolve this can do so by explaining to the stakeholders the opportunities this will provide, so that they do not perceive digitization as a threat. Proper corporate training needs to be given to them through constant education involving virtual chatrooms and getting digital leaders to engage people. Lastly, digital leaders need to be truly empowered so they can carry on with their work without fear of interruption.

Source:https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/overcoming-resistance-to-digital-change-7496

Uploaded Date:28 November 2017