Strategies for People-Centric Digital Transformation

Scaling tech isn't just about the latest tools or platforms. The real game-changer is ignored by 90% of companies.👇 It's the human element. Tech adoption without people-first strategies often leads to failure. Here's what successful companies do differently: 1. They invest in upskilling their workforce 2. They foster a culture of continuous learning 3. They align tech initiatives with employee needs 4. They create cross-functional teams for better integration 5. They prioritize change management from day one Remember: Your tech is only as good as the people using it. The most advanced AI can't replace human creativity and problem-solving. Your team's ability to adapt and innovate with new tech is your true competitive edge. Don't just throw money at the latest gadgets. Invest in your people. Build a tech-savvy, adaptable workforce. That's how you truly scale technology and drive transformation. Empower your team to lead the tech revolution, not just follow it.

After two decades of transforming defense workflows and systems, I've witnessed countless technology implementations fail. Not because the tech was flawed, but because the implementation ignored the most critical component: humans. The most dangerous words in any transformation project? "The users will adopt this." No. They won't. Most initiatives die because we focus on systems instead of the humans who use them. We obsess over features while ignoring how work actually flows through an organization. This is backwards. When transforming archaic systems, the setup and people matter more than the tech stack. I call this "functional empathy." We seek to understand how individuals interact with processes before attempting to change them. Processes and workflows aren't just procedures; they're cultural artifacts. They carry institutional knowledge built over decades. Disrupting them without understanding their purpose is organizational suicide. Digital transformation isn't something you do TO an organization. It's something you do WITH them. When we champion ‘functional empathy’ – truly understanding how work happens before trying to change it–we don't just build better systems, we build better organizations.

65% of AI & Tech Transformations Fail 🚫 Why? Because they forget one thing: People. I've spent 25+ years in healthcare leadership, and here's what I know: transformation fails when we forget the human element. Digital transformations often fall short of expectations. Why? Because we're solving the wrong problem. 7 critical shifts needed in 2025: 1/ From Tools to Trust ↳ Technology doesn't transform workplaces. People Do. ↳ Start with psychological safety and clear communication. ↳ Build trust before introducing new tools. 2/ From Training to Translation ↳ Stop teaching "how to use tools." ↳ Start showing "how tools improve lives." ↳ Connect every change to personal growth. 3/ From Metrics to Meaning ↳ Move beyond efficiency metrics. ↳ Measure impact on well-being and job satisfaction. ↳ Track how transformation enables better work-life integration. 4/ From Control to Collaboration ↳ Replace top-down mandates with team-led initiatives. ↳ Create innovation councils across departments. ↳ Let solutions emerge from front-line expertise. 5/ From Speed to Sustainability ↳ Stop rushing digital adoption. ↳ Build systems that support long-term resilience. ↳ Focus on sustainable change management. 6/ From ROI to Human Impact ↳ Expand success metrics beyond financial returns. ↳ Measure employee engagement and retention. ↳ Track improvements in work-life quality. 7/ From Digital to Hybrid Excellence ↳ Balance automation with human judgment. ↳ Preserve meaningful human interactions. ↳ Create frameworks where technology amplifies humanity. Real transformation isn't about adopting new technology. It's about enabling people to do their best work. In healthcare, I've seen both sides: - Teams that resist change because they don't see the "why" - Teams that embrace change because they shape the "how" The difference? Leadership that prioritizes people over processes. ♻️ Share if this resonates ➕ Follow Dr. Elise Victor for more.

𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🚀 Are you noticing a gap in your team’s digital skills as your organization ramps up its digital transformation efforts? Let’s be real: the digital landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and without the right skills, your employees might struggle to keep up. This gap isn’t just a small glitch—it’s a potential roadblock that could prevent your company from leveraging new technologies and staying competitive. If you ignore this issue, your company risks falling behind competitors who are quick to adapt. You'll miss out on the efficiency, innovation, and growth that come with being a digital-first organization. But here’s the game plan: integrate comprehensive digital literacy and transformation training into your Learning & Development (L&D) strategy. Here’s how to make it happen: 📌 Identify Key Digital Skills: Start by mapping out the essential digital skills your team needs. Think data analysis, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and emerging technologies like AI and IoT. This isn’t just about tech-savviness; it’s about future-proofing your workforce. 📌 Custom Training Programs: Develop tailored training programs that address these specific skills. Use a mix of e-learning, workshops, and hands-on projects to cater to different learning styles and ensure practical application. 📌 Leverage Internal Expertise: Tap into the knowledge within your organization. Encourage experts to share their insights through internal webinars, mentoring programs, and collaborative projects. This not only builds skills but also fosters a culture of continuous learning. 📌 Use Cutting-Edge Tools: Employ the latest L&D technologies to deliver your training. Interactive video paths, VR simulations, and AI-driven personalized learning paths can make the training more engaging and effective. 📌 Measure and Iterate: Implement metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of your training programs. Use feedback, performance analytics, and skill assessments to continuously refine and improve your L&D strategy. By embedding digital literacy and transformation training into your L&D strategy, you're not just enhancing your employees’ skills; you're positioning your organization to thrive in the digital age. (Note: The picture is from a Microsoft training event in Toronto from 2005!) Ready to lead the charge in digital transformation? Share your thoughts and strategies in the comments below! ⬇️ #DigitalTransformation #LearningAndDevelopment #FutureOfWork #DigitalSkills #Innovation #Training #EdTech #CorporateTraining

The biggest challenge in digital transformation isn’t the technology—it’s the people. We have AI-driven tools that can predict failures in facilities before they happen, yet most industrial leaders struggle to scale them or tackle resistance to new methods. Why? Because technology adoption isn’t just about infrastructure—it’s about how people learn, adapt, and trust new ways of working. And that’s where #diversity matters. I like this op-ed (link in comments) from Giada Volpin at ABB where she shares a powerful example: using AR-enabled remote maintenance, her team helped local technicians in Malaysia repair critical equipment—without flying in experts. Beyond the efficiency gains (and excellent example of real #remotework), the real win was building confidence and capability on the ground. The lesson? Innovation thrives (even when distributed) when we embrace different perspectives, especially in STEM fields where gender imbalance remains stark. If we want digital transformation to succeed, we need diverse teams that understand both technology and human behavior. Even if you want people working together, this curiosity is critical to sustainable growth. How is your organization tackling this? #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #AR #changemanagement

LinkedIn is full of cliches about transformation—feel-good phrases that rack up likes but don’t move the needle. Let’s look at a few of these: “Relentless communication will drive adoption.” No, it won’t. Bombarding people with emails and town halls doesn’t create commitment, it raises resistance. If people don’t feel the change, they won’t adopt it—no matter how many times you repeat the message. “Put people first.” Sounds great. But in too many programs, this just means getting people out of the way so the technology can be implemented. If you’re serious about putting people first, you must be skilled enough and willing to work with people. And that includes all the complexity and messiness that people bring with them. “Technology will solve the problem.” No. In fact, in many cases, technology IS the problem. The idea that if you build it, they will come is called pro-innovation bias. It’s real, and it’s been killing transformation for decades. The real challenge isn’t the tech—it’s adoption. “A strong contract guarantees success.” A solid contract is important, but it won’t save you when the program starts falling apart. You need a solid human-centric  ecosystem, and you start building that before you hire your first consultant. Transformation failure rates have been unacceptably high for decades. So if the advice you’re hearing sounds easy, it’s probably useless. Success in this space requires ruthless clarity and reflection. Identifying the conflicting incentives, counterproductive behaviors, and the hidden forces that drive failure is hard work, requires going against broken playbooks that have driven the failure rates, and can be counterintuitive. We can do this. But we need to change how we approach this work from the bottom up, the inside out, and the top down. If you’ve been successful at this, you know what I’m talking about. #TransformationEnablement #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #ChangeManagement

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Most digital transformation projects don’t fail because of the tech. They fail because of people issues - misalignment, lack of trust, and resistance to change. I recently came across a quote from “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦” that sums up what great leaders say: 📌𝑰 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕, 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 → 𝑩𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 📌𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒋𝒐𝒃 → 𝑫𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 📌𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏? → 𝑼𝒏𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 📌𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅? → 𝑬𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 📌𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 → 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒆 📌𝑾𝒆 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 → 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 In transformation, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥.  Whether you're rolling out SAP, implementing IoT, or enabling AI - projects only succeed when people feel safe, seen, and valued. So next time you’re leading a change initiative, remember: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏. #DigitalTransformation #PeopleFirst #Leadership #ChangeManagement #EmpathyInTech

🤖 Worried robots are going to take your job? Consider this: Sure, tech can scale. But only people can innovate, collaborate, and adapt. Digital transformations have been around for centuries (if in doubt, check out our "We've Been Here Before" blog series on our website!), and at the heart of every successful technological shift is a workforce ready to adopt, adapt, implement, and innovate. As the new Era of AI continues to accelerate in our organizations, don't lose sight of the value of a human-centered workforce. Stela Lupushor and I explore how organizations that prioritize people—not just platforms—achieve stronger, more sustainable business results. Here are five people-powered principles we believe are non-negotiable in today’s landscape: ✨ Set expectations early and clearly—transparency builds trust. ✨ Use AI to unlock growth—not replace it. ✨ Design for safety—psychological, emotional, professional. ✨ Measure what matters—real HR metrics that move the business. ✨ Center humans in every process—and watch HCROI follow. Which of these are already embedded in your organization? Where's your biggest opportunity for growth? Share in the comments! #HumanizingHumanCapital #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork

The reason why most transformations fail — Because organizations don’t invest in a Transformation executive. MIT Sloan reports a stunning insight: Only 7% of companies have a dedicated Transformation Executive. But these organizations are 3x more likely to succeed in change initiatives. Transformation isn't a part-time job - it requires dedicated efforts to ensure success. Transformation Executive operates at the intersection of: ✅ Human Dynamics ✅ Operational Excellence ✅ Technological Innovation Let's break down this critical role: 1. People  93% of employees feel overwhelmed by workplace technology (According to Gartner) A Transformation Executive can help — - Build digital confidence - Create learning pathways - Foster adaptability - Enable collaborative innovation 2. Process Evolution Organizations with integrated processes are 2.5x more likely to exceed transformation goals. (According to McKinsey) A Transformation Executive focuses on — - Value stream optimization - Cross-functional alignment - Performance framework design - Continuous improvement cycles 3. Technology Integration 32% of organizations fail due to poor technology-human integration. (According to Deloitte) A Transformation Executive prioritizes — - Human-centered design - Smart automation - Data-driven decision making - Sustainable scaling Great transformation executives don't just manage change. They navigate change with ease and success. If your organization is going through a transformation journey, but feels stuck, DM me "TRANSFORM" to discuss strategies for integrated transformation success.