Organizations can take mixed top-down, bottom-up, inside-out, outside-in, middle-out, and cross-functional system wide approaches to go digital in a multidimensional way.
Due to the “VUCA” (Velocity, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) nature of digital transformation, businesses have to deal with constant ambiguity, increasing complexity, rapid change, and unprecedented uncertainty by taking different approaches and improving organizational responsiveness and agility.
It is an interdisciplinary management approach which stands in between management, economy, psychology, sociology, and neurology, etc to make a smooth paradigm shift.
Unification via a horizontal approach: We need the flexibility to adapt “in-stride” as necessary to move the goal promptly as we discover the knowledge and events of tomorrow. To deal with today’s complex problems and overcome challenges, individual work and group work cannot be done without horizontal unification. Cross-functional collaboration is the new normal to co-solve complex problems. Horizontal approaches, such as portfolio mapping, scenario making, and resource allocation help to ensure the business as a whole is superior to the sum of its parts.
Lead via a vertical approach: Either leadership or change need to go deeper, not only fixing behaviors, but also underlying mindset, values, attitude. Numerous changes or business transformations run, complete, and then slowly crumble away as people revert to old ways of doing things, and get stuck with complacency gradually. Change needs to permeate into business processes, cultures, communications, people have to reshape their fitting mindset, and deepen their understanding of people and organizations. Leaders should take a proactive approach to build phenomenal long-loved transformations and make a significant difference in mindset, attitude, and aptitude.
Handle disruptions via structural approach: To stay competitive, companies are not only experimenting with alternative ways to do things, but also commit to taking a systematic approach to explore the emerging digital horizon and unlock the full digital potential. Business environment is dynamic, how successful the organization can handle digital disruption depends on how fast and capable they can adapt to changes. To explore the emerging digital horizon and lead forward solidly, you have to understand what it means to the business and get to know the external changing connected environment or the entire business ecosystem, take a structural way to orchestrate transformative change smoothly.
There is no “one size fits all” solution to overcome business challenges. Organizations can take mixed top-down, bottom-up, inside-out, outside-in, middle-out, and cross-functional system wide approaches to go digital in a multidimensional way.
