Citation
Bajer, J. (2018), "Editorial", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-12-2017-0085
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited
Digital transformation needs a new culture
Dear HR and business colleagues.
I bet you agree that having data does not make an organisation “digital”.
Most organisations are collecting all sorts of data, hoping to make more intelligent decisions, informing performance management and increasing market share. Having access to data (or even insights) does not mean people will use it to drive value.
Digital transformation can only exist if an organisation uses data to inform a new way of thinking – and doing. Having information on customer or employee behaviour is necessary but not sufficient when it comes to transforming outcomes. It is only the transformation of culture that will embrace data to add a new type of value.
In this issue of Strategic HR Review, we want to share some examples of how digital transformation managed to make a difference in a few organisations:
In The Future of HR and Information Capability, Wayne Brockbank, Dave Ulrich, David Kryscynski and Michael Ulrich examine the impact that HR departments have when they focus their information agenda on improving the organisation’s information capability, instead of on HR departmental activities.
In Creating a High Performing Organization in Today’s Data Driven World, Heidi Pozzo explores what leading organisations do to achieve success in today’s data-driven world, drawing on a variety of real-world examples of organisations that managed to create focus and leverage resources to achieve outsized results during their own transformations.
In So You’ve Just Hired a Killer Chief Digital Officer – Now What ? Michael Doonan discusses what’s involved in setting up your new Chief Digital Officer for success – starting with identifying the type of workplace IT executive that best fits your company, and having the right expectations and support in place for them to be successful.
In How HR Execs Can Use Technology to Connect a Divided Workforce, Mike Hicks looks at how HR professionals can use digital workplace transformation to bring employees together and bridge divides between generations, remote workers and various cultures.
In How the Employee Benefits Market is Going Digital, Nicky Dunderdale examines how new technology can be leveraged to improve the management and communication of employee benefits – delivering more tailored benefit packages that bolster employee engagement and, ultimately, help organisations recruit and retain the best talent.
In Why People Matter Far More Than Digital Technology Or Capital, Michael Gale and Chris Aarons caution against paying too little attention to the “people component” of digital transformation, arguing that employees still need to be digitally centric in the way they think, act and react for such transformations to be successful.
In Digital and Face-to-Face Advances and Detractions to Cure the Personal and Financial Cost of Misdiagnosis, by Heather Towery and Michael Hough lay out a case study that highlights how digital transformation in the health care sector is having real results, and saving lives, by addressing one of the biggest challenges in the field – misdiagnosis.
Providing data to an unwilling organisation is like offering lobster to someone who just had a big dinner. It will stay at the table, completely untouched.
Before embarking on a digital journey, ask yourself:
Do we really want to put customers first?
Are we ready to change how we manage our talent?
What will we do, when we find out what customers really care about?
Do we have the courage to change our leadership behaviours?
If not sure, consider just going through the motions. Get some “digital” done on the side and make sure nobody rocks the boat.
But if you are ready, consider this as one of the best opportunities you will have in your business life.
Hope you enjoy the journey!
Warmly,
Dr Javier Bajer
Editor-in-Chief
Strategic HR Review
About the author
Javier Bajer is Founding CEO at Javier Bajer, London, UK.