Take the Lead: How to become the digital agent in your organization
Recently, my colleague Nicolas Berden and I got the opportunity to be part of the course ‘Take the lead’ about digital disruption, innovation and transformation. 200 participants from different industries and levels are participating in the course organized by Vlerick, offering a digital learning experience to provide them (and us) the knowledge and confidence to take the lead in the transformation process of an organization. The goal is to transform the participants throughout 14 weeks in ‘Digital change agents: Ambassadors of the New Economy', who can implement their newly gained knowledge in their organization.
Digital is everywhere
At EY, both Nicolas and I work within the Advisory department. I’m part of the technology advisory team and my focus is on IT assessments, IT strategy and digital transformations. Nicolas has been working for 4,5 years within the Risk Department. On a daily basis he evaluates and improves a broad range of business processes to help organizations achieve their objectives and improve the effectiveness of their control and management of risks. Risks include topics such as the organization’s reputation, growth and its impact on the environment.
Digital is everywhere but what exactly is it? Disruption is the hot topic on the block. Everyone knows Uber, Netflix and Amazon as contemporary disruptors, but what exactly makes them disruptive? Is disruption a big bang, making business models and companies obsolete from one day to another or is it a process and does it need to be seen in a more nuanced light?
Key takeaways
We are looking forward to answering these questions (and many more) and learning about tools and frameworks that use digital technologies to transform our current organization and those of our clients.
Key takeaways and other questions we hope to get answered are:
- How to apply theory to real life cases?
- How to make the business case that brings the change?
- Explore different frameworks and apply them to real business scenario's.
- To understand current challenges that our clients may face.
- Connect to a diverse network of people of all levels working in vast range of industries
- To witness real life cases and the possible benefits a digital transformation can bring.
- Be ready with all the tools and knowledge to take the lead in a next digital transformation.
Take the Lead
The Take the Lead-journey started with a kick-off event at the Vlerick campus in Brussels where we had the opportunity to meet the other participants. During the first 3 weeks, the course focused on what digital transformation is and how we can pitch a disruptive idea to the stakeholders in our organizations. Week 3 started with an interesting webinar where KBC Bank’s Chief Innovation Officer Eric Luts explained how to innovate a big and cumbersome organization from inside-out. We are now in week 4 and we’ve definitely got a taste for more. In the beginning of week 4, we received an introduction to a digital innovation framework that provides the theory behind the digital transformation process. This framework will be the basis for our business case that we need to prepare in a group assignment the following weeks. As the journey continues, we hope to explore more of this framework and apply it to real life scenarios and eventually become the digital agents in our organization.
What question will you ask today to set the future path for your company? What’s your companies’ strategy and approach towards digital disruption, innovation and transformation?
Dear Mathias, sounds great! It heard the program is exciting and gets all participants motivated, that's key for digital ambassadors. You retorically ask what question we'll ask ourself today? Euuhhh that same question may be valid even for many days the next couple of months -the path is long. How many disbelievers will we get on board today, how many colleagues will gain confidence today that there is more to win than to lose -if they shift mindset and actions today. The perception of losing control will be a huge challenge, a time waster and energy drainer on any innovation journey, every day next months... Most change agents like to go against the tide, and don't mind to be called dreamers. Nevertheless, even with the most refined digital strategies and signatures already on the wall, the believers will need to bring in extra bags of energy every day in order to boost the non-believers... Ready for that the next couple of years? Every boardroom where avg age is usually +45 is already a bottle neck itself when it comes to digital business transformation -with all respect for past experience and expertise. Voluntary futureblindness is every where; many people still seem stuck in what was nice in 2005, and have difficulty to imagine what their job will look like in 2025, therefore it scares them how to rewrite business and jobs. Few people like the idea of losing control after so many years of hard work... Since 'most senior' decision makers lack the digital DNA it's really hard for them to decide on what they don't have in their blood, for what they think is not a necessity... unless they give carte blance and full support to digital roockies. A "yes of course" change attitude is absent in many board rooms. A "no or but" is a more likely answer to a crazy idea. Digital natives and "shadow experts" may get a vote in the most advanced or today's best advised companies, but it's not enough... Let's enjoy these here-to-stay challenges, we can tell these stories to our grandchildren later :) Happy to help with the human and cultural stepping stones -they will ask more attention than technical code and strategy writing. Winning hearts first, is the question for me today. Prior to investment in systems and process, dare to invest in social intelligence, new forms of decision making and collaboration, and basic communication skills. After that, strategy becomes piece of cake. Best regards, Christa founder of MULTI MULTA. More on www.multimulta.be
Partner at EY | Global Digital & Innovation Lead | Energy & Resources
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