Company Culture in Cloud Adoption Part 2: Managing Change

“Company culture is either the number one catalyst or inhibitor to progress.” This according to Brian Solis, who has been a leader in the digital transformation movement, is one of the biggest reasons that you need to change the way your people think if you hope to have a successful cloud journey.

In the first part of this blog, we explored the connection between culture and cloud readiness. Today, we would like to look at some of the steps you need to take to lead your change initiative as you work to transform your business.

Managing a Commitment to Change

Influencing—and inspiring—culture change across your organization requires a concerted effort amongst company leaders to adapt their communications to align with the transparency, flexibility, and agility afforded by your new technology. Before managers can help employees/users learn their new responsibilities, processes and procedures, they have to participate in a “global” initiative to set a positive tone and trajectory for the technology project—and keep the momentum going.

Here are best practices to consider as you take your journey of digital (and cultural) transformation:

Set and share a clear vision. What values do you want your employees to embrace—and personify—as they adopt new technology tools and resources? Formalizing your intentions to serve as a guide will prepare your leadership team, and eventually employees, to embody an innovative, tech-driven culture.

Start from the top. Support from the C-suite is critical—and not only because you need their sign-off to purchase your new technology. Their ongoing partnership is essential to creating a culture that values technology, is willing to evolve with changes, and looks forward to learning new ways of working.

Establish a multi-departmental team. While selecting technology solutions and preparing for the change—not to mention rolling out the changes—it’s helpful to depend on the talents and influence of leaders and power users across the company. These “champions” can help you anticipate areas of potential resistance, collect feedback, and communicate changes and project updates with their respective teams, making for a smoother transition for everyone.

Select the right solution(s). If you implement a solution that doesn’t match your requirements, any enthusiasm you’ve built up around the change will fall flat. It’s so important to get the technology “right” from the very beginning—and working with a trusted technology consultancy is often your best route to success.

Send frequent communications. Keep employees informed on organizational goals and technology project timelines and milestones. Depending on the communications preferences of your workforce, share information with them over different channels and formats so you’re sure to effectively connect with everyone. Your messaging should lead with benefits (e.g. increased productivity, 24/7 system access and mobility, enhanced collaboration) and always provide next steps for learning more or providing feedback.

Depend on your implementation partners. When it comes to securing training materials, user support, and all of the other resources you’ll need to drive ongoing change, your third-party partners will have you covered. Experts in the technology you’re implementing and experienced with deployments, they can help you and your entire workforce stay the course—and always moving forward.

At rinehimerbaker, we know what it takes to successfully introduce game-changing technology and bring your company culture along for the exciting ride. Contact us to learn more.

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