We are living a new revolution: the digital transformation. This revolution mainly due to the Big Data, Blockchain, IoT, robotics and many others that we have all heard. The digital transformation has a strong impact, not only in our life and social environment, but it also will radically change our work environment and way of working. Like any process of change, it is important to be properly managed to guarantee its success. And this is where internal communication becomes important and becomes a strategic lever for managing that change.
We must keep in mind that digital transformation is not only about technology, it has a human component that is important to manage properly. In addition, it is not just a change of management, it is something more complex that goes beyond implementing new technologies and processes in our offices or being present in social networks. On the other hand, a peculiar feature of this revolution over others, could be as in the Industrial Revolution, the time of adaptation, because is less than in others. All these issues must be taken into account if we want the success of our project..
This new revolution requires:
- New business models
- New ways to manage people
What in also means:
- Acquire, on the part of employees, new skills and abilities
- Change in the corporate culture.
This is where internal communication contribute to digital transformation. In the first case, internal communication enable employees to acquire these new skills and capabilities. How?Training people and promoting the capitalization of knowledge in all areas of the organization through the coordination, or for example, creating manuals. In terms of changing the corporate culture, internal communication becomes strategically for digital transformation within organizations. Because of that, it is essential to have the support and commitment of the general management and the middle management to ensure the success of their initiatives. And of course, work in coordination with the human resources and marketing departments.
THE ROLE OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
The role of internal communication is:
- Promote the new digital culture
- Offer to the employee new digital tools
- Listen to the employee, because internal communication is not only inform or communicate, it is also listening. In this sense, it must establish tools and initiatives that allow knowing the level of knowledge, receptivity and interest of the employee in the change.
The key to success is to involve the employee and make him the center and reason o everything. How can we do that? asking, taking into account their priorities Do not forget that internal communication is not only about sending messages, IC involves listening and showing them what they win with the digital transformation. In this way, you can have more motivations when acquiring or adapting to those changes and increase participation.
And finally, let’s look at the future of IC. What will happen when the robots will be incorporated massively with the personnel? How will that change be managed from the point of view of internal communication? How will internal communication address the human-robot relationship? Does give us for thought, doesn’t it? We will leave the answer for another post.
Our SlashGirl, Mónica Pullido, Communication Manager is is the author of this post.
