Digital transformation. That is technology, right?
We open any news site and there’s something about the pandemic creating an even greater need for digital transformation within organisations. Of course, that's a nice introduction, but we’ve heard that before. And they go into great detail about the technological possibilities that already exist and are still to come. Technology this. Technology that. It’s all insane.
Concept of the future
But is digital transformation really just about technology? You almost start to believe it when you read everything. Sure, you can get the hottest technology by just buying or developing it. But digital transformation is still about the ability to effectively adapt to an even more digital future. That’s a skill. A people skill.
As Winston Churchill once said: “We must not waste a good crisis”. Perhaps this is the greatest gift of the current pandemic. That it gives us the opportunity to rethink our potential and ensure that we position ourselves for the future. And I agree. It is time to take a good look at our skills. Are you really pulling out all the stops right now?
Adapting to change
It may be too early to realise it, but in the long run, this pandemic is going to make us use our skills better. Although the future is still uncertain, we are convinced that we need to focus more on adapting to change. A skill that is going to be very important for the future. Because changes will keep on coming. Even if, like most people, you secretly don’t like change at all.
Do you remember the time when we started to automate very fast? Oh dear, that was going to cost jobs. Because we could do more in less time. Yes, technological possibilities have led to automation and the elimination of obsolete jobs, but it has also created new jobs. Jobs that require today’s skills. So we need to look hard for people who are adaptable to change. Who always want to develop new skills and who are agile. That is what it is all about. Because people and their talent are still the common denominator of the concept of the future.