Have you used Siri today? Opened Uber to book a taxi from A to B? Logged into Spotify and chosen a music playlist? Or asked Alexa when your next meeting is? If that sounds familiar, then welcome to the world of digital transformation!
Digital transformation is everywhere, and we often take it for granted. Let’s look at Spotify for instance; it doesn’t just create a perfect music playlist as if my magic. Instead, it acts on insights from data such as keyword searches, genre preferences, and user behaviour. By predicting a user’s behavioural trends, and taking into account other external factors, Spotify successfully provides relevant, personalised music recommendations, and reigns superior as a leading user experience platform purely by understanding their customers and their needs.
Digital technology continues to permeate every aspect of our personal lives, and quite often, we tend to overlook that it is actually happening. From the minute we wake up to the minute we go to sleep, we instantly lock ourselves into this global network, and very rarely come out of it.
For me, my digital transformation journey started last night at 11pm when I asked Siri to set my alarm for 7:30am the next day. Fast-forward 8 hours, I immerse myself even further. Before even getting out of bed, I religiously read my morning newspaper, AKA my social media accounts.
I double tap the latest holiday snaps from Sarah on Instagram; ‘#HotDogLegs #Bali #HowsYourMonday’, and scroll through video after video on Facebook. And I’m not alone in doing so. According to a recent study by IDC Research, 80% of smartphone users check their phones within 15 minutes of waking up.
By the time I’ve finished my morning paper, I’ve worked up an appetite, so I shower, make a coffee and some breakfast, and reply to any text messages I’ve received overnight (and maybe even have a quick swipe left on tinder) I then check my work emails and scan through my social media accounts again (because the first time obviously wasn’t enough), all from the comfort of my kitchen. The freedom and flexibility to work from my home? The ability to use my smart phone for various functions, such as placing an online order for the groceries I used to cook my breakfast? The ability to connect with people on a global scale at the touch of a button? Yep, all part of digital transformation.
The journey to work carries it on. After I input my work address into the built-in satnav (yes I should know the way to work by now) I download a podcast to listen to. Today’s choice; ‘Stuff You Should Know – How Sloths Work’.
Once I arrive at the office, my digital transformation journey shifts seamlessly from my personal life into my working world. Now, if your organisation has successfully navigated through their digital transformation journey, whether that be through experience design, human centred design, etc., then this transition will be a smooth, effortless process. However, if your business is yet to adapt to the needs and demands of digital transformation, then this transition will feel more abrasive and fragmented, and will not support the performance of your people.
Lucky for me, I can jump straight from one world into the other.
In essence, digital transformation has aided us in organising our personal lives, and has embedded itself deep into the roots of our culture. Technology augments our knowledge and experience. Processes are now more streamlined, so much so that we are now accustomed to using these tools, and expect every other part of our lives to be the same, such as the way we work, the way we learn, and the way we communicate. With the work-life balance becoming increasingly more important and sought after, it’s crucial that employees have a smooth transition from one sphere to the other, and so organisations need to proactively ensure that their employees have what they need, when they need it. Just like our personal lives have become consumerised, as should our work life.
Businesses have been entirely transformed by digital transformation, and have no choice but to adjust to the new realities and expectations. But what does this mean for the future of work? And for Learning & Development professionals specifically, what impact will it have on our industry?
At GP Strategies, we successfully help organisations drive their own digital transformation. Visit Danny Seals, GP Strategies’ Learning Architect on 16th October, 14:30-15:00 in Theatre 1 to find out what impact digital transformation is having on industries and organisations, and explore how the context of today’s employees is shifting the L&D approach.