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Job Title Confusion: Digital Transformation vs. Change Management

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Let's first define digital transformation. I like the definition that Salesforce uses: "The process of using digital technologies to create new - or modify existing - business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements. This reimagining of business in the digital age is digital transformation."

So, what's change management? You'll receive different replies depending on who you ask. For example, project managers view change management as the process of obtaining approvals for project scope, schedules, or budget changes. IT professionals look at change management as the process for approving, testing, and installing new hardware or software. Prosci, the global leader in change management solutions, views change management from an organizational and people perspective. Their definition of change management is "applying a structured process and set of tools for leading the people side of change to achieve a desired outcome." For purposes of this discussion, we will focus on the organizational perspective.

The Most Magical Place On Earth And Digital Transformation


Now that we've defined digital transformation and change management, let's start with a great example of a company that successfully implemented a digital transformation. But first, let me challenge you to guess who the company is. I'll give you a hint: their motto is "The Most Magical Place on Earth." You guessed it. The company is Disney World.

The Disney MagicBand, introduced in 2013, was part of a robust technology revamp to the guest experience, allowing guests to manage their reservations, make payments, and access their hotel room. Continuing on their transformation journey for guests, Disney announced in March 2021 the MagicMobile service, which operates like the MagicBand but on a mobile device. Disney indeed has reimagined their business in the digital age to meet its customers' changing needs.

As George Westerman, MIT Center for Digital Business, says, "When digital transformation is done right, it's like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar."

Microsoft's Reinvention Through Organizational Change


Now, let's look at Microsoft's change management relative to the organizational structure. When CEO Satya Nadella came onboard in 2014, he announced that its ability to change its culture would be a leading indicator of its future success. This type of message coming down from the CEO is both powerful and essential to successful organizational transformations.

As he shared his new mission, one of the key changes he wanted to champion was to create a more collaborative and imaginative environment. He would do this by first removing the barriers created by a siloed approach. And thanks to Satya's leadership, Microsoft has been successful in its organizational changes, as shown in its stock prices and employee morale. Continue to watch Microsoft as they change and adapt to the markets they serve.

Sarah Clayton, Senior Partner at Korn Ferry, shares, "Few things are more important during a change event than communication from leaders who can paint a clear and confidence-inspiring vision of the future."

Change Management Interlinked With Digital Transformation


As you can see, organizational change management is vital for the successful implementation of digital transformation initiatives. While each term has its unique definition, the very nature of digital transformation necessitates change management protocols. Think about the Disney World example. When they executed their digital transformation to MagicBands and MagicMobile, they prepared their organization for the change, crafted their vision and plan, implemented the changes, and embedded the changes with their processes and, most importantly, their culture. They continue to review progress and analyze results to ensure they are providing guests with the ultimate customer experience.

Digital transformation will continue to be an essential strategy for companies and their C-suite teams, especially if they want to remain competitive in this rapidly changing environment. Take a look around and watch the companies that embrace change management. These companies view change management as an essential tool that ensures a successful digital transformation.

P.S. If you liked this article, check out the previous article in the series that explains the difference between strategies and operations.

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Executive Spotlight: How To Stay Current With Trends As A Busy Executive
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Executive Spotlight: How To Stay Current With Trends As A Busy Executive

Executives have many responsibilities as leaders, but ensuring their organizations remain competitive and relevant is one of the most important. Staying current with trends is the simplest way executives can accomplish this. But with incredibly busy schedules and long to-do lists, how can executives successfully keep up with trends and stay ahead of the curve?

We recently asked our busy executives how they stay current with trends.

Here are their responses…

Ana Smith, Talent Architect & Global Learning Strategist

As a busy executive, it can be challenging to stay current with the latest trends and developments in your industry. However, it’s essential to remain up to date to ensure that your organization stays competitive and relevant. Here are five key strategies to help you stay current with trends as a busy executive:

  1. Prioritize learning: Make learning a priority and carve out time in your schedule to stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your industry.
  2. Build a network: Build a network of peers and experts in your industry to stay informed about the latest trends and developments. Attend conferences, seminars, and networking events to connect with others and gain insights into emerging trends.
  3. Utilize technology: Utilize technology to stay current with trends. Subscribe to industry newsletters, set up Google alerts for relevant keywords, and follow industry influencers on social media.
  4. Delegate responsibility: Delegate responsibility to other members of your team who can help you stay current with trends. Assign someone to monitor industry news and report back to you regularly.
  5. Read widely: Read widely to stay informed about the latest trends and developments in your industry. Set aside time to read industry publications, blogs, and books regularly.

In summary, staying current with trends as a busy executive requires prioritizing learning, building a network, utilizing technology, delegating responsibility, and reading widely. By implementing these strategies, executives can stay informed and ensure that their organization remains competitive and relevant in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Ana Smith helps people & organizations achieve their full talent potential by developing and co-creating people strategies and customized solutions, and turning them into impactful outcomes and collaborative relationships, using coaching as the “red thread.”

Michael Willis, Sports Business Operations Executive

NFL stadium

In the world of sports, as the NFL continues to rise in popularity, challenges and adversity also come. The NFL must find ways to predict the future to get ahead of these challenges and remain a leader in the industry.

4 Trends That Remain a Constant in the NFL’s Planning:

1. Millennials – The sports world faces an uphill battle of finding ways to entice millennials to attend games. The rise of technology has made it easier to consume games in the comfort of their homes. Many major sports leagues have made it easier to consume the games on their mobile devices or networks, like NFL Network.

2. Technology Integration – The pace of technology keeps changing. Fans want to connect to the games on their social media accounts, like Facebook and Twitter feeds. If teams are not proactive with social media and cannot entice fans with modern technology, fans will not follow them or go to the games.

3. Gameday Experiences – The NFL wants to give the fans an experience that can only be achieved at the stadium. This includes pregame tailgating and shows, halftime entertainment, and post-game celebrations.

4. Predicting the Future – The world is constantly changing. The sports industry faces the challenge of predicting the next trend, the next big idea that will capture its audience. While the future is nearly impossible to predict, it will be worthwhile for sports leagues to continue to study trends.

Michael Willis has 18+ years of experience working with accounting & sports organizations and has managed P&Ls of $10M – $125M+ with budgets of $3M-$50M+. He worked for the NFL for 22 1/2 years, mainly with the game officials working on the financial/accounting side of the business.

Lisa Perry, Global Marketing Executive

Busy executive writes down current trends to stay up to date

As a busy global marketing executive, staying current with trends is crucial to keep up with the ever-changing business landscape. While staying on top of the latest developments can be challenging, it’s essential to remain relevant and competitive in today’s fast-paced business world. Here are five things I do weekly as a brand marketing executive to stay current with trends:

1. Leverage Technology: In today’s digital age, technology can be your best ally in staying up to date with trends. With many online tools and resources, you can easily keep track of the latest developments in your industry. I use ChatGPT, Canva, Grammarly, and SaveTik daily. You can follow thought leaders or industry experts on social media, subscribe to podcasts or newsletters, sign up for Google alerts for keywords related to your industry, attend webinars, or take online courses that focus on specific industries and trends.

2. Collaborate with Peers: Collaborating with peers can be an excellent way to stay current with trends. Consider joining industry-specific associations or forming a peer group with other executives in your field. By sharing ideas and insights, you can learn from each other and stay up to date on the latest trends.

3. Read: Industry-specific publications are a valuable source of information and insights. Subscribe to publications that cover your industry, and make it a habit to read them regularly. You can also follow relevant blogs and thought leaders in your industry to stay informed about the latest trends. I joined a marketing book club to stay current on the latest brand marketing trends.

4. Attend Conferences and Networking Events: Conferences and networking events provide an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest trends and connect with like-minded professionals. As a busy executive, it may be challenging to attend every event, but try to prioritize the most relevant to your industry.

5. Continuous Learning: It can be easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you don’t have enough time to learn new things. However, committing to learn new things continuously can help you stay current with trends in your industry. This can involve taking online courses, attending webinars, or even reading books related to your field. I’m learning how ChatGPT can assist me as a brand marketer while reading a few brand marketing books to improve my skills.

Staying current with trends is essential for any executive looking to remain relevant and competitive in today’s fast-paced business world.

Lisa Perry helps companies build leadership brands, driving loyal customers & delivering profitability. She does this through a process that builds brands consumers love. Her goal is to help companies develop, monetize, and grow their brands.

How do you stay current with trends as a busy executive? Join the conversation inside Work It Daily’s Executive Program.

Backblaze Leans On Its Culture To Thrive After COVID-19
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Backblaze Leans On Its Culture To Thrive After COVID-19

The new workplace reality brought on by COVID-19 has thrown a lot of businesses for a loop. But having a strong business and culture going into the pandemic has helped California-based Backblaze not only adjust to the changing workplace environment, but keep the company moving forward in a positive direction.

Backblaze provides online computer backup and cloud storage for personal computers and businesses. The company, which is usually always hiring, believes that many of the things that it was doing prior to the pandemic has helped to keep it successful.

Employee Perks Take On A New Meaning

Backblaze gives employees an equipment stipend to help them set up their home workstations.

One of the more unique benefits offered by Backblaze is the employee equipment perk. Employees that work at the company’s San Mateo headquarters are provided with an ergonomically supported workstation and then given a stipend to help customize that workstation to meet their needs.

In some cases, employees will use the stipend to purchase equipment, like a secondary workstation to have at home, or other high-efficiency tools such as iPads or smartwatches, according to Ramya Ramamoorthy, Marketing Recruitment Coordinator at Backblaze.

Ramamoorthy said the goal of the stipend is for employees to buy what they need to be comfortable and productive. The perk has taken on added importance recently when COVID-19 forced the Backblaze workforce to work from home.

“During COVID a lot of our employees have been using their employee equipment perk to purchase things like a desk and chair, computer monitor, or anything they need to set up their workstation because a lot of people didn’t have that prior to COVID because most people were working in the office,” Ramamoorthy says.

Backblaze has also been flexible with the stipend based on an individual’s need for their home office. For example, the company has approved portable A/C units, ellipticals for under the desk, and even a coffee maker, because the company believes all these items can keep health, comfort, and productivity up while employees are working from home.

Backblaze also provides a monthly stipend to employees who are now required to work from home, but may need help upgrading their internet connection.

Ramamoorthy says the company offered work from home flexibility prior to the pandemic, and even had some employees that worked remotely full time. “I think the fact that we all at some point, even if it was only for a day or two, worked from home was really helpful in the transition,” Ramamoorthy says.

Another perk that has taken on an added importance is the Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), which allows employees unlimited phone consultations. Ramamoorthy says the company wants its employees to have access to confidential counseling services to help them through any challenges relating to work, family, stress, finances, and other personal issues.

“COVID is such a challenging time. We want our employees to be happy and talk to anyone if they need to,” Ramamoorthy says.

Keeping The Workplace Connected

Employees from Backblaze take part in a video meeting.

Workplace culture has always been a sense of pride for Backblaze. When employees were in the office, the company’s “Fun Committee” would often plan social events to bring the workforce together. These events included happy hours, milestone celebrations, and Family Fun Days, to name a few events.

These events have gone virtual since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that hasn’t stopped the Fun Committee from getting creative, according to Ramamoorthy. The committee recently held storytime events for the children of employees, where actors playing Disney characters read and sang.

The company has also been holding virtual happy hours and wellness classes, including yoga, meditation, and Zumba classes.

Prior to shelter-in-place, Backblaze offered fully stocked micro-kitchens with free snacks in the office as well as free breakfast and lunch twice a week, and pets were allowed at the office.

Ramamoorthy says company leadership is constantly reassessing when going back to the office might be feasible and safe for employees. When employees do return to the office, the company will look to resume as many workplace traditions as possible.

Consistent & Steady Leadership

Members of the Backblaze team.

All five of Backblaze’s founders still work at the company, and in normal circumstances, it was fairly common for company leaders to walk around the office and chat with employees on a regular basis, according to Ramamoorthy. Managers would also take their employees on “walk-and-talk” meetings.

Video conferencing is being used by management to stay connected to the workforce during COVID-19. Company co-founder Brian Wilson has virtual office hours every week where he goes over interesting facts about the company and answers any questions that employees may have.

“Although these gestures may seem simple, our founders are bridging the gap between themselves and the rest of the employees by encouraging conversations and getting to know team members,” Ramamoorthy says.

Other Interesting Facts About Working At Backblaze

The Backblaze data center in Sacramento, California.

Here are some benefits and perks at Backblaze:

  • The company offers 100% healthcare coverage, 401K retirement plans, and paid maternity/paternity leave
  • The company offers an unlimited vacation policy
  • The company employs over 160 employees
  • In addition to its headquarters in San Mateo, Backblaze has data centers in Sacramento, Phoenix, and Amsterdam

Career Opportunities At Backblaze

Backblaze is currently hiring for multiple positions.

Backblaze is hiring!

Ramamoorthy says the pandemic has not impacted Backblaze’s staffing, and that the company is usually always on the lookout for more people to join the team.

“We’re very lucky that during this time people are still using our services, and I think it’s because our service is almost essential,” Ramamoorthy says. “We’re very fortunate to be in this situation.”

The interview process is entirely remote, and there’s a coding exercise for those applying for engineering positions.

Does your business have a unique story to tell? Consider being featured by Work It Daily! Work It Daily has an engaged audience of individuals either looking for a job or are focused on career growth—the perfect audience to get your company in front of.

Sell The Hole, Not The Drill! How To Make A Successful Sales Presentation
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Sell The Hole, Not The Drill! How To Make A Successful Sales Presentation

As a sales trainer and observer, I have watched many sales presentations.

Inexperienced sales professionals often tell customers everything they know about their product as if they were being examined at school. The problem is customers don’t want to hear everything. They lose interest. Then they buy from a different vendor.

They key is to focus on the customer, not on the product.

Sell The Hole, Not The Drill

Woman makes sales presentation at work

Unless you’re selling a luxury product, such as a Rolex watch or a Ferrari, customers do not really want your product. They want what the product can do for them. This is why we say customers buy the hole, not the drill. So how do we apply this to making sales presentations?

The “Hook”

Man give a sales presentation to potential clients

Unless you have been recommended, or you use advertising, you need to attract your customer’s attention. You do that with a “hook.” Mention what your customers usually want, then offer to tell them how they can get it.

Why do most people buy broadband packages? They want to call relatives in remote locations, consume entertainment through streaming services, or work from home.

Ask your customer something like this: “Mr. Jones, how much does it cost you to call your daughter in Alaska How about if we could cut that down to only twenty-five dollars a month?”

Suppose you’re selling speech analytics to a bank. Start by asking the contact center manager: “Do you worry about compliance?” Then ask: “What percentage of calls do you monitor in an average month?” Follow that up with: “And how many non-compliant calls do you think you miss?”

Find Out What They Want

Woman gives a sales presentation to potential clients

Now you have your customer’s attention. You need to find out what they really want. Look for your customer’s top three requirements. Prepare your questions in advance. You should be able to identify her needs with three or four open questions.

For the broadband scenario, you can ask: “How many people live in your house other than yourself?” Follow that with: “What do they like doing with the internet?” Your final question will be: “Suppose you had the best internet connection in the world. What would you use it for?”

For the speech analytics scenario, you can ask the contact center manager: “How many contact center agents are there?” “What kind of calls do they handle?” “How do you monitor compliance now?” and “What would you investigate if you could listen to every single call that is handled?”

In both cases, your questions will reveal the current situation, the desired future situation, and the size of the solution required.

Now it’s time to tell the customer what you have to offer.

Keyhole Surgery

Woman gives a sales presentation to potential customers

Surgeons often killed their patients in the past. They made massive incisions into their bodies. The shock and trauma they produced were often deadlier than the problem they were trying to solve.

Inexperienced sales professionals kill just as many deals by telling their customers more than they need to know about their products.

Before starting your presentation, restate their top three needs and confirm your understanding.

Tell the customer “This is how you can <> with our product.” Then tell, or show, the customer how they can meet the first need with your product. At this point, ask the customer if they have any questions. Stay silent and give the customer a moment to think, and respond.

If they have doubts, it’s better to get them out into the open where you can talk about them.

Questions show interest and engagement. If a customer isn’t asking questions, he is probably not interested. This works slightly differently in Asia, where you may find that the questions come later, and from a third party.

Move on to the second need and repeat the procedure. Instead of asking if the customer has any questions, ask what their thoughts are at this stage. Once more, give the customer time to think and respond.

Use the same procedure to talk about the third need. Once you have shown them how your product meets their needs, you can ask them: “Have I met your needs with our product?” Give your customer time to think and react.

The close and objection handling stage are beyond the scope of this article.

Monitoring The “Patient”

Man gives a sales presentation to potential customers

When talking to customers, don’t forget to watch them carefully. Don’t just listen to the words that they say; listen to and watch how they feel.

How closely are they paying attention? Is the customer listening or looking at his phone?

How would you describe the expression on the customer’s face? Does she seem interested? Does she seem friendly?

Is the customer asking questions? In most parts of the world, an unengaged customer who does not ask questions is not a good sign.

If you are dealing with a “poker-faced” customer, look at how closely she is paying attention to you. Is she taking notes? If she is going to ask you detailed questions later through a third party, she will need to listen very carefully to do so.

Wrap-Up

Do you present your products or services to customers? Do you present your ideas to your colleagues? Either way, I hope this article will give you some food for thought. Tell me what you think. How do you present your product/service/ideas?

Further reading…

Learn how to improve your persuasive skills by writing: Why Writing Is The Foundation Of Persuasion

Learn how to build business cases: “What’s In It For Me?” The 3-Stage Guide To Answering This Question


3 Steps To Create Your Own Career Development Plan
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3 Steps To Create Your Own Career Development Plan

If you’re wondering how you’re going to get where you want to be in your career, there are some simple steps you can take that will help you create your own career development plan.

Let’s not be confused by the word “simple.” Sometimes the simplest of concepts or steps can be tough to do because they require some intense thinking and effort. Yet, your think time and effort are an investment in your future and career happiness, which make it all very worthwhile to plan your career growth today.

1. Figure Out Your Destination

As with all efforts, you must be clear about your direction when you create your own career development plan. You don’t take a road trip without knowing where you want to end up. You also don’t need to overly complicate this task. I think the following questions are helpful in thinking about your destination.

Where do you want your career to be in two years?

I like this question because this window is close enough to your current reality that it’s easy to visualize.

Where do you want your career to be in five years?

If you see that your two-year goal is merely a step in an overall direction, then this question helps you define a longer-term career growth goal. Sometimes it’s difficult to see that far out in time as life and different opportunities present themselves and can cause you to reset your plans. That’s okay, but it’s good to be looking “two steps ahead.”

What makes these targets resonant for you?

Don’t make a goal just for the sake of making one. You need a goal that helps to motivate you into action. If you’re making a goal based on what someone else wants, it also isn’t going to be that compelling for you. Being clear on your direction means being clear that this direction is inspiring and motivational, and knowing what is driving you to it.

2. Do A Gap Analysis

Professional man doing a gap analysis for his career development plan

A gap analysis is where you figure out the differences in the qualifications between where you are right now and your two-year goal or next step. Using a job posting or job description for the position you are aiming at is a good way to get specific information about the skills and experience that are expected. I think it is good to get more than one job description (perhaps one from your company and one from a competitor) in order to ensure you aren’t missing any key items during your analysis.

Go through the job description line item by line item and rate your current state of skills, education, or experience to what is listed. Your rating system can be as simple as 1-10, with 10 a perfect match and one being completely missing. As you rate, make notes about your thought process for future reference.

Once you have completed this exercise, identify all of the items where there is anywhere from a fair amount to a substantial amount of development that is needed. Look for commonalities and clump those together as a category. You will discover that there will be themes to your gaps.

Also, don’t get too compulsive about where you don’t think you’re a perfect match but think you have fairly developed skills. If they are mostly present, they will make you a competitive candidate and shouldn’t require too much development attention. You now have a list of development items.

3. Create Your Development Plan

Woman writes down career goals she wants to achieve for her career development plan

You are now fully armed with a clear two-year goal and all the details of where and what you need to develop to get you where you want to go. Your plan will be best if you can consult with your boss and/or a mentor to help you with ideas on how to get the skills you need to add.

There may need to be some logical order to a few of the items on your list. Sometimes you need to do X before you can do Y. Make these among the highest priority items so you can accomplish these things and move on to others. Usually, there are multiple ways of accumulating the skills you need for career growth.

You may also want to have multiple ways of beefing up your skill set to add depth to it. An example is if you want to move to a project management position, you may want to get a certification and also ask for project responsibilities. Initially, these may be small, which is fine; they will give you an opportunity to grow and learn. In addition, you may need to research various ways to get the skills you need to grow in your career.

Once your research is done, it will give you ideas on how you can approach these items. You need dates. You need to keep yourself accountable to your plan. And the best way to do that is to give yourself a “start by” date.

You can’t predict how long or how much work you will have to do in order to develop the skill at the level you need, but you do have control over the action you take to get started. Keep track. You need to pay attention to your career development plan a minimum of twice per year. This will allow you to stay focused on your progress and remind you of next steps.

Career development is the sort of thing that you can easily forget about until you wake up one day to realize you have gone nowhere and aren’t having fun. You are responsible for where you go in your career. With a little bit of planning, you can accomplish great things.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.