How Should CEOs Approach Digital Transformation?

Covid-19 has taught the world one rather important thing: the future is most certainly digital. If it wasn’t for the already largely digitalised global systems in place, the world could have ended up in a vastly different position after the virus took hold. With digital solutions key to global business continuity, a conversation around the importance of organisational digital transformation is being had in boardrooms and over coffee machines the world over. So, what do CEOs need to know about transformation, and how should they approach it? Let’s find out:

Thorough Research Is Key

The first step a CEO starting an organisation’s digital transformation should take is to actually know what digital transformation entails. True digital transformation is becoming a necessity for modern business continuity in the face of uncertainty, and CEOs that understand the various factors involved will know what they’re dealing with and can drive it successfully.

Know Why It’s Important

Digital transformation is about much more than just ramping up the IT infrastructure and putting your document management system in the cloud. It’s about improving employees’ lives and increasing productivity within the organisation. It’s about reducing redundancies and cutting overheads while reducing the carbon footprint.

Assign A Transformer

The truth is that no one person can facilitate true organisational digital transformation. It takes the whole organisation to embrace digital processes and the benefits that come along with them. CEOs should assign leaders of digital transformation internally; staff who can keep their fingers on the pulse of digital progression in the business world, and facilitate digitalisation improvements.

Prepare For The Future

We’ve learnt the hard way that the only thing certain in the business world is uncertainty itself. That government actions can take immediately and without warning force business to operate online once again. CEOs must be cognisant of their organisation’s changing digital requirements at all times, and have the necessary resources on hand to ensure that business continuity is assured long into the future.

Lead By Example

Research has shown that ranking in an organisation is, on average, inversely proportionate to the level of digital prowess. In other words, lower-ranking staff members are way more digital-savvy than higher-ups. When the digital transformation comes, CEOs should break out of this stereotype by embracing digital themselves – regardless of their age.

Digital transformations happen faster and with better success rates when they are driven from the top down.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

CEOs that want to understand digital transformation, and how to effectively implement it, should take a look at our  Digital Transformation course! DSM also offers a range of leadership and skill development programmes for corporates.