It has already been foretold many a time that organizations which do not set themselves on the path of digital transformation have much to lose in terms of future revenue and growth. There is also historical evidence of organizations insulating themselves from the changes happening world over, and becoming obsolete.
The advantage that organizations today have that they exist in an interconnected globalized world where the communication highways are already bridging the knowledge gap. And so much so that knowledge has lost its power and it has instead become a tool for the millennial generation, and something that they can use to drive change in the organization. Something that Jorapur also touched in a keynote during the event. But are the organizations listening?
The face of the organizations is changing
From standardized processes and adoption of technology which fits all, organizations are now steadily moving towards customization or as some say individualization of processes, and technology is being largely adopted to aid that. And with the need for the focus of the HR function to be aligned to the overall business operation in the organization, there has to be a focus on, as Jorapur told the audience, on using technology to add value to the existing ‘business value chain’ in the organization. It is only then, will the HR gain a buy-in from the leadership and business.
The business dynamics are also changing as the business is clearly becoming more customers focused, when it had always been traditionally, production focused.
Impact of millennials and the changing world
Today, the world in itself only looks towards the instant gratification. A movement from being beavers to rabbits, says Sanjay Jorapur, CHRO, Hero MotoCorp. It is not just true for the consumer but also for the employees. Many organizations speak of the existence of five generations of the workforce in their organization. The economy has also shifted from how it used to work traditionally to adopting digital and virtual workplaces. The employees and the customers have also changed preferences in terms of investments in the assets which are more permanent. Rather, people want to be free from attachments of home or long-term commitments, and hence there is a push towards the creation of a parallel gig economy, which the organizations are still struggling to leverage in terms of the specialized talent pool that it provides.
And hence Jorapur asked the audience if their organizations are ensuring that the employees are walking into their organizations with a positive mindset, and if they are also ensuring that the employees are walking out of their organizations with a positive mindset.
Undertaking cultural transformation
According to Sanjay Jorapur, the winners are those who recognize the reality and create a continuous improvement mindset and then undertake cultural transformation.
And which is not easy because there are so many organizational challenges:
- Archaic Process: Considering that movement is towards adopting digital platforms, the archaic processes and traditional technology puts off many younger professionals.
- Power of approval: Most millennials do not wish to be granted approvals. They want the system of granting them the approvals to be automatic and digital.
- Knowledge is a tool: No more is knowledge contained in the hands of the few. With the internet, the access to knowledge and information has been highly democratized. And because the millennials have access to the internet, they are best positioned to utilize it to drive change in the organization. And if the mid-managers or the senior managers are not adept at comprehending digital skills which are natural to the digital natives, there will be conflict in the organization, and which will need to be resolved.
- Boss is not always right: The younger professionals believe in more autonomy. There needs to be more decision making power granted to them. Also, since the boss is also only a human and cannot give a 360-degree view to the organizational worldview, he will not always be right. Decisions by the manager will have to be supported by data and facts.
- Lack of digital skills: It is very important for organizations to understand that they need to bring the digital immigrants if not at par with the digital natives but at least at a level where they comprehend the need to change. But how do organizations convince the laggards of ‘How digital is good for them and the organization?’
There is so much more that Sanjay Jorapur touched upon. Look out for more articles which address the digital readiness of the Indian organizations.