MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Like all other business processes, in IT transformation too communication is key. IT transformation is usually a huge change for an organization and getting everyone aligned on the task is quite challenging. There are various people involved and for the transition to be seamless, everyone must be aware of what the final goal is or what the action plan is. This is only possible with effective communication. People are, in general, resistant to change. Employees in an organization tend to become comfortable in the current state and find it hard to understand why a transformation is necessary unless it has been clearly explained. They must know why they need to work for this change and how it is going to positively affect them. Moreover, it is not just the people on the digital transformation team that need to adapt to the change but all other employees who will gradually become a part of it. So it is important to have a strong strategy for effective communication within the company. There should be a multi-channel approach to communication so that everyone can be reached on their preferred communication channels. Companies need to use their intranet, emails, messaging apps, employee portals, websites, or any other channel possible to share important updates. The company culture should also evolve to support effective communication. Information should flow in all directions. Important updates in strategy or policies should be clearly communicated by the leadership, while employees should convey their concerns and challenges so the leadership can work on them. There should be enough authoritative resources for the employees to learn from. Also, technical teams should avoid using complex technical language so that everyone is able to understand their messages. These are some signs of a good communication strategy. Effective communication is able to improve employee engagement and, thus, increase productivity.

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Objectives

01. Communication Strategy: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Leadership’s Role: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Internal Communications: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Communication Channels: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Communicate Frequently: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Creative Communication Campaigns: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Personalized Communication: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. Two-Way Communication: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. Easy Access to Business Documents : departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Celebrate Employee Success: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Accountability: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
12. Measure Communication Strategy Effectiveness: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. Communication Strategy: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Leadership’s Role: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Internal Communications: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Communication Channels: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Communicate Frequently: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Creative Communication Campaigns: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Personalized Communication: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Two-Way Communication: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Easy Access to Business Documents: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Celebrate Employee Success: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Accountability: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Measure Communication Strategy Effectiveness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Communication Strategy.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Leadership’s Role.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Internal Communications.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Communication Channels.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Communicate Frequently.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Creative Communication Campaigns.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Personalized Communication.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Two-Way Communication.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Easy Access to Business Documents.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Celebrate Employee Success.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Accountability.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Measure Communication Strategy Effectiveness.

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Introduction

The Importance of Communication in IT Transformation

From how we connect with one another to how we share and analyze information to how businesses work, technology is transforming the world. The most successful businesses are those who quickly adopt new technologies to better their operations and stay ahead of the competition. Today, more and more firms are opting for IT transformation. However, without a clear communications plan in place, the IT transformation process may take longer than expected, or possibly fail to take off at all.

Communication’s Role in IT Transformations

An IT transition might take years, depending on the size and structure of the firm. While The Home Depot took only two years to complete their shift, Microsoft took five years, Best Buy took seven, and Target took eight. Regardless of the time commitment, each of these digital transitions was a significant success, with stock price increases ranging from 59 to 258%.

Not all digital transitions succeed, but they are undeniably important in communications. The CIO (or management equivalent) must ensure that the roll-out plans and execution methods are clearly communicated throughout all departments, as the IT department will most likely lead the digital transformation. To succeed, an internal change of this magnitude, which often affects the majority, if not all, of the organization, requires an aggressive internal communications plan. However, because the IT department is not traditionally associated with excellent communication abilities, a digital transformation process in many firms can suffer as a result.

A digital transformation that isn’t properly communicated can:

• Take longer than expected, resulting in higher costs
• Leave employees frustrated and perplexed about the changes
• Cause a rift between IT and other departments, affecting corporate culture
• Never be properly adopted by employees
• Never be “complete” due to a variety of internal issues despite significant investments

Don’t Count on Emails: Use a Multi-Channel Strategy

There’s a good chance that a significant number of employees in your company ignore communications from the IT department. Regardless of how much higher management highlights the necessity of the new IT digital transformation initiative, some people simply ignore it.

Implement a multi-channel strategy to get through this stumbling block. Your staff can connect with one another through a variety of channels, including the intranet, mobile apps, and Slack. Engage with your employees on their preferred channel so that they are more likely to grasp the information shared by your IT department.

Source: https://firstup.io

Improve employee engagement to build a great corporate culture.

Employees from other departments are less inclined to accept new practices that aren’t explained to them. Explaining why transformations are taking place can help CIOs raise employee engagement dramatically. There’s always a compelling reason for change, and letting employees grasp the transformation’s aim can help them feel more involved.

Let’s face it: connecting with employees is difficult for any team, let alone IT. (In 2021, Gallup estimates that only 20% of employees globally will be engaged at work.) However, IT input, updates, and information are vital for employees to feel connected, generate innovation, and maintain high productivity. And a platform for workforce communication can make all the difference.

You’ll build a strong business culture that supports learning, development, and growth through enhancing employee engagement—all of which are essential for employees to embrace an ongoing digital transition positively.

CIOs are now expected to play a key role in fostering a productive and successful corporate culture. CIOs should think of their culture as a “employee experience initiative,” according to Leigh McMullen, VP analyst at Gartner.

Your projects are more likely to fail if the majority of employees are disengaged and don’t understand why decisions are being made. Content that doesn’t merely “tell” but also “shows.” Employees must be transformed into actors in order for the company’s story to be told effectively. Employees become stakeholders in the success of the digital transformation program when they have a role and a voice.

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How WashREIT Changed the Culture of the Company

Here’s an example of developing a discourse (or igniting a new kind of engagement) between workers and the management team using a workforce platform.

“As we think about how technology enables people to do their jobs, to me, it’s meeting people where they are. That’s so much of what makes for good communication. It lets people work where they want to work, it lets people consume information in the way they want to consume it, in the time they want to consume it. It gives them that flexibility to blend that life experience with the work experience.”

— Susan Gerock, CIO at WashREIT.

The problem – how to reach out to employees who are spread out across the country.

WashREIT’s employees are genuinely mobile. They have a large remote staff, and many of their employees are always on the move, interacting with people outside of the office, visiting development and building sites, and touring properties. Washington REIT recognized the importance of having a strong approach to communicate with all of their employees and made it one of their strategic goals for the year.

The solution — a platform for employee communication.

None of the tried-and-true methods of reaching out to staff worked. They turned to Firstup, a workforce communications platform that delivered the mission-control technology they needed to reach their employees where they were and on their preferred channels, such as a mobile app.

IT teams, for example, seized control of their own content distribution platforms. One of IT’s early programs was to raise awareness about phishing emails. It drew some of the highest participation of their entire employee communications program because it was so innovative, popular, and easy to access. In addition, IT used engaging questions and interviews to introduce their personnel to the rest of the organization, resulting in stronger personal relationships and the development of their company culture.

Ensure that IT uses non-technical jargon when communicating.

While it may appear that conveying a transformation’s plans and goals to other departments is a simple task, it is not. When an IT staff communicates in technical jargon, the message is not being received. Other departments may get confused, hostile, and frustrated with IT as a result of this. Employee cooperation can be reduced, projects can be slowed, and corporate culture can be impacted by these attitudes.

The key to breaking this cycle, according to Wavestone US, is to allow IT to interact with all of the company’s business segments. Treat IT as a “customer service organization” that assists all departments. Each department can choose an IT representative to whom they can direct questions, problems, or ideas. This can help to bridge the gap in communication and keep projects on track.

Make a Place for Credible Documentation

Finally, an IT transformation is a difficult process that will have a varied impact on each function inside an organization. By retaining a location for authoritative documents, the IT department may assist in resolving any ambiguity. This could be a go-to spot for employees looking for:

• The rationale for the digital transformation
• The digital transformation’s aims
• The anticipated schedule with regular updates on progress
• Passwords, how-to resources, and contact information

To be competitive in today’s business, digital transformations are required. However, if the IT department does not lead the rest of the company through the process, the project will be greatly slowed or fail.

According to Forbes, 80 percent of companies believe their digital activities encompass the entire business, indicating that these companies have effectively communicated their value proposition to their employees. Shareholders may achieve stronger returns and a better Customer Experience by prioritizing internal involvement.

Despite having a strong reputation in this era, there have been numerous failed digital transformations in significant corporations, with $900 billion squandered on failed projects. They’ve all agreed that communication was a major factor in the trip’s failure. Failure to communicate their aims, strategy, and purpose to their staff has landed them in hot water from the outset.

Every business should take use of digital technologies, but doing so requires the proper foundation. Improving internal communication and engagement within firms is a fantastic place to start. Create a clear goal, evaluate engagement, and be ready for change to guarantee communication is at the center of digital transformation.

Figure 1: According to Gartner, employee communications play a strategic role in the digital workplace.

Developing a Common Goal

Employees will feel much more involved if you focus on the ultimate aim and purpose of digital transformation and communicate it effectively to them. Explain where the company is going, why it is changing, and why the changes are necessary. It’s excellent if you can show them how essential their contribution is and how it might effect them on a personal level. This will assist them in being more motivated to achieve success. Improved corporate results can be fueled by a connected workplace and better communication.

Measuring the Relationship

When the message does not get across, communication is useless. It’s much more than just getting the word across. To guarantee that the message was received, the organization should track employee engagement and response to the message. Measure the engagement with information and the actions performed by different business units to quantify the digital transformation journey. It’s best to get real-time input so you can make changes as needed.

Become a Change-Ready Company

Change does not always involve the use of new tools or processes; it can simply indicate the existence of a culture and communication system that can adapt to any situation. Humans thrive on regularity, but the rate of technological and corporate evolution is unending, and it is only prudent for businesses to be prepared for change in order to achieve effective digital transformation.

Communicate the Correct Growth

Organizations must become more innovative in the channels they use in the digital world to enable the faster ways of working that digital transformation necessitates. Focus on the people and motivate them to help the company succeed. Empower employees to take a more systematic, agile, and effective digital transformation journey. With proper internal communication amongst all business groups, Enterprise Architecture Development may begin the process of digital transformation. The capacity to create goals might be jeopardized by a lack of communication skills, which can result in unproductive Enterprise Architecture outputs. With the help of Enterprise Architecture, organizations can develop a Business and Technology Strategy Plan that can accelerate digital transformation by reducing complexity and aligning business with technology —

When it comes to digital transformation, how do you meet employee expectations?

While digital projects may appear to be all about technology, their success is dependent on how successfully you can interact with your employees inside. Employees have high expectations for the quality of engagement they receive from their corporate teams in today’s on-demand society. You may improve the employee experience and streamline workflows by combining your communications stack with a workforce communications platform.

CIOs who take on the task of engaging their staff demonstrate how much they appreciate them—and set their teams up for very successful digital transformations and a boost in the company’s IT brand.

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Employee productivity and workplace communication

Workplace communication has an impact on a wide range of corporate functions. However, the most popular reason why Chief Communications Officers and other communications professionals are investing in internal communications more than ever before is to boost employee productivity.

Employees in organi