Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 39 | Page 66

INDUSTRY WATCH UNDERSTANDING WHY THERE MIGHT BE RESISTANCE INTERNALLY TO NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND PROCESSES IS HALF OF THE BATTLE IN OVERCOMING THEM. Transformation initiative, but what specific end-goal will these new systems and technologies deliver? Will it be revenue growth, customer engagement or maximising smaller budgets? Leading with targeted outcomes will make it far easier to get colleagues on board with your vision. and processes is half of the battle in overcoming them. For example, the term automation could immediately create a sense of anxiety for many workers, thanks to sensationalist headlines about job losses. By adjusting mindsets, business culture can be opened to taking full advantage of new technologies. Reassure staff that technology can, in fact, improve their jobs, freeing them from more mundane internal processes to focus on more innovative and creative tasks in their work. Digital Transformation is not just about technology, it is more about people and processes. Understanding the human element of this transformation is the only way to successfully drive internal change. By that same token, public sector IT leaders need to ensure that any technology partner with which they choose to work also has a solid grasp of the business context and reasons for fundamental business and operational change. n Flip the budget conversation: Budgets will always be an issue when it comes to the public sector, creating an obstacle to implementing technology that could actually help make the most of decreasing resources. However, this is where you need to sell the vision of Digital Transformation and its benefits back to the department. For example, rather than saying investment in new solutions will cost X, instead state that investment in this technology will save Y over time. This is at the core of business cases presented for approval. Know your audience and users: When talking to those from across the business, make sure you tailor your language accordingly – whether you are speaking to the budget holder or an entry level employee. Not everyone is going to understand the technicalities and, dependent on job roles, the desired outcomes from Digital Transformation will vary. Also, include these users in the early stages of shaping and designing the new processes and services. Understand the resistance: Understanding why there might be resistance internally to new technologies 66 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com