Disruption results in and change and innovation and can have both negative and positive impacts. The digital revolution has impacted people’s lives to an unprecedented degree by changing not only how we work but also our daily lives. From a business point of view the way to leverage
Disruption results is to take advantage of the benefits digital technology provides to transform industries by making changes to the way they operate. Leaders in organizations of all sizes and types need to respond to disruption in this way or risk being left behind.
Businesses must be prepared to take bold action, embrace significant change and empower their employees to be agents in this. Following are some techniques that existing businesses can use to take advantage of, or simply respond to, disruption:
• Maintain Trust at all Organizational Levels – dealing with disruption successfully relies on trust. People must be prepared to innovate and change in ways that may be uncomfortable for them and they need to be encouraged to understand that it is the right approach. Supporting employees at all levels in a company to manage change and undertake unconventional approaches to problem solving, is vital for a business to thrive in this environment.
• Remove Bureaucracy – outdated processes and procedures need to be weeded out. Technology provides the tools to support better and faster execution but without removing bureaucratic hurdles it will be ineffective. Changing a bureaucratic mindset can be a challenge and requires diligence to effectively change people’s attitudes and approach but it must be done to successfully manage digital disruption.
• Think Different – you need to encourage employees at all levels to ‘go against the grain’ and challenge existing structures by thinking in innovative ways. Some people are more attuned to this approach than others so these ‘agents of change’ need to be encouraged and to encourage others. This free exchange of ideas must also be communicated to upper management so that innovations are implemented based on ne ways of thinking.
• Encourage Entrepreneurship – legacy businesses generally have a process oriented culture in which ways of doing things are ingrained and control is paramount. This inhibits the spirit of entrepreneurship where new and better ways of doing things can arise. Employees should be encouraged to see their work function as their own small business and to find ways to make it more efficient and profitable based on their experience. Changes in costs, processes and techniques established in this way can then flow throughout the company as a whole.
• Encourage Risk Taking – while a cautious approach has its merits, risk-aversion is not appropriate to a business environment that is changing constantly. Encourage the use of new approaches and tools but also emphasize information security so that risks are balanced with appropriate controls when implementing innovation.