In the past, technology jobs primarily consisted of heads-down work, designing, building, and troubleshooting. But now, the world requires technology professionals to be strategic advocates for business transformation.

Managing these changes requires a combination of a solid technology roadmap and an effective change management strategy. This is where a seasoned tech professional can shine.

Leadership

A digital transformation requires a different type of leadership. Rather than controlling specific technologies, leaders must focus on creating organizational agility and human-centeredness.

This involves fostering collaboration and empowering teams to drive innovation. It also means promoting purpose-driven work and fostering trust among workers.

To be effective, business leaders must have a high level of digital savviness and tactfully emit powerful narratives that unify teams behind their vision.

Vision

A seasoned technology professional such as Shohreh Abedi has years of experience under their belt. They understand how to leverage the tools and technologies to drive digital transformation.

They know that customer value is critical to success, and establishing a robust and customer-centric strategy should be top of mind for all tech planning and delivery.

Changing old tactics and embracing innovation to spearhead a company into the future requires vision.

Innovation

Emerging technologies are transforming business models and boosting customer value. However, many legacy executives remain skeptical of deploying these solutions.

This is why seasoned technology professionals are ideal for delivering digital transformation leadership. Their expertise and efficiency are vital to ensuring projects stay on track. Their improvisation and mitigation skills help when situations unexpectedly arise. These professionals also have the experience to guide younger leaders.

Communication

For a successful digital transformation, proper communication is critical. This is especially true when you have a team of young professionals.

In rapidly emerging fields, it may be challenging to determine who is a “seasoned” expert. However, focusing on an individual’s current knowledge and skills rather than experience is critical.

Use remote and digital communications to communicate your vision for the transformation process. This will help to reassure employees and keep them engaged.

Agility

Agility is the ability to react quickly and gracefully in a rapidly changing environment. This is a critical skill for digital transformation.

Many experienced technology professionals enter training sessions, rolling their eyes at the notion that they need to improve their skills. They think their years of experience and knowledge are sufficient.

However, recent knowledge has revealed that traditional agility tests (e.g., t-test, Illinois, and pro-agility test) do not measure agility but rather a change of direction speed.

Collaboration

A seasoned professional is in an excellent position to serve as a mentor for someone newer. This benefits everyone. The boomer gets to share their knowledge with a younger coworker, and the newcomer learns in a low-pressure environment that cuts down on mistakes and accelerates growth.

Digital workplace technologies like messaging apps, video-conferencing tools, and project management software can boost collaboration by streamlining communications and fostering transparent, bottom-up decision-making. But true collaboration requires more.

Change Management

Managing change effectively takes time and effort. It’s essential to identify any underlying hesitancies and address them accordingly.

One key to success is establishing clear communication around the change effort. Studies show that the project’s success is three times higher when senior leadership communicates the change story to employees through digital channels. This communication must continue throughout the implementation process. A clear plan is also essential.

Automation

Automation empowers teams to take control of their workflows while freeing up time for critical decision-making. When a process reaches a crucial juncture requiring human judgment, automation tools flag the issue to the appropriate team member for immediate action.

Operations conducted via automation are more precise, error-free, and quicker than manual methods. This translates to substantial cost savings. Ultimately, these savings benefit the bottom line and open new business prospects.

Design

Digital transformation is more than just implementing new technology. It’s also about changing the culture and empowering employees to embrace change.

Many tech professionals roll their eyes at the idea of training, believing that their specific expertise and years of experience are enough. This mentality is counterproductive to a successful digital transformation.

Digital transformation requires a cross-disciplinary approach to developing mobile business applications, innovative customer services, and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Security

Digital transformation introduces new security risks and requires a robust cybersecurity strategy. A successful system is based on assessing the risks and implementing policies and procedures to mitigate them.

Research suggests a people-centric culture can help reduce cybersecurity breaches by encouraging collaboration between departments and creating a reporting process for vulnerabilities. These are the kinds of changes that a seasoned technology professional can facilitate.