In my previous article The Tipping Point for Digital Transformation in Business – Part 1, I talked about the presence in social and organizational contexts of a minority of people who are supportive of innovation from the very beginning
This minority of Pioneers and Early Adopters, according to Everett Rogers’ model of diffusion of innovations, is not sufficient by itself to ensure change.
Studies on behavior change show that only when 30 percent of a population adopts a new behavior is a “tipping point” or Tipping Point reached.
When this percentage is reached, new behaviors and mental approaches are self-feeding and foster further growth.
This is a sufficient number of people who are thus able to encourage each other, support each other in the new ways and mental approaches.
The remaining part of the population feels in the minority and perceives change as inevitable.
Models from social studies and organizations show that all people are reached in this way because of the relationships between the top 30 percent and the remaining majority (re-processed from The Lime Group – Critical Mass).
In short, all it takes is for pioneers and early adopters to convince 17 percent of the conservative majority (85 percent of the population) for change to occur naturally.
But they cannot go it alone because change must be experienced by the people directly affected.
No one can change for you
First, it should be remembered that change happens through the drive of people within each office or department.
In my opinion, it is a mistake to think that the selection and introduction of tools such as a project management system, a CRM or PLM system, etc. , are pushed only by the IT manager or an Innovation Manager, who then will not use them.
This change must first be shared and supported by the management directly involved.
Just take inspiration from what has always happened in manufacturing departments where management is required to understand the impact that, a piece of machinery or a new process, has on the production reality.
Likewise, it is necessary for a team leader, especially one of “knowledge workers,” to delve into the impact that a new digital technology can bring to his or her department.
IT managers and Innovation Managers can help team leaders and certainly are in charge of verifying integration, security and other aspects that indirectly affect the department involved in their adoption.
It may seem initially discriminatory, but for each department, it is best to involve only people from the early majority from the beginning.
Similarly, it is best to select, when possible, the offices or departments where the change is estimated to be best received.
This saves unnecessary effort because these kinds of people and departments will board more easily once they reach the turning point.
In my last digital transformation experience in the company, I still remember the introduction of a commercial product configuration system, which was also suitable for customized products.
The way was to directly involve the Sales Engineering manager of the smaller corporate business division where the obstacles were less, as the project leader
The project involved a relatively small number of people and quickly went into functional operation, although with incomplete functionality.
The project leader, a very dynamic and innovative person, played the role of the Product Owner for the Agile development of the missing software modules.
Once we took this step, we involved the other business divisions one by one.
Each of them made requests for strong software customizations, motivated by a desire to continue with the previous modes, even though they were obviously obsolete.
Only the success of digital transformation, in the first business division, made it possible to extend to the other divisions.
