It’s not news that government leaders and agency operations managers are increasingly expected to do more with less when updating legacy digital tools and integrating new processes. Although the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) was established five years ago to finance agency improvements in digital transformation and security, there is still a gap between what is needed and what is available, even with President Biden’s $1B addition to the fund in 2021. Teams looking to digitize often get snagged in these budgetary concerns as they balance operating between older and newer systems.
With traditional siloes being disrupted and an enhanced focus being made on individual growth-oriented learning opportunities, concentrated efforts can help bridge that gap as agencies look to modernize for greater efficiency. Below are three strategies government leaders can use to ensure digital transformation projects are successful – regardless of the budget.
Create Buy-In Across the Organization
Employees typically hold longer tenure in government roles than those in the private sector, which means that a large percentage of the workforce has established routines and a clear sense of “how it’s done here.” Introducing something new – especially related to new technology that feeds into perceptions that automated tools will erase the need for human workers – can be difficult. Leaders must be mindful of these fears and concerns as they introduce digital transformation plans, as discrediting or dismissing them can alienates employees and further discourage them from embracing the new tools.
Most negative emotions associated with digital transformations stem from a narrow focus on the tool or technology being introduced versus the behaviors and mindsets of the impacted individuals. Negative emotions like fear ignite a Survive mode in humans and can make it difficult to see beyond the immediate threat to potential future benefits. Leaders can minimize this Survive channel and activate employee Thrive channels by clearly communicating every step of the digital transformation process, how it will impact them, and why it will ultimately improve the workplace. Deliver a clear, compelling message to everyone – from junior staff to senior decision makers – around the opportunities a successful transformation can create and what new things can be achieved. Delivery of this message is often different at each level, so leaders must have a clear understanding of the technology’s impact on each function within a department or agency.
Being transparent and demonstrating the benefits of adoption helps generate buy-in so employees will more readily embrace new technology. This allows leaders to create a volunteer army of supporters across the organizations who are eager to see the transformation succeed and motivated to make sure it does.
Facilitate Cross-Team Collaboration
In highly structured organizations like federal agencies, it can be difficult to break down long-standing silos and shift the environment to where collaboration between teams is not only encouraged, but expected. Building urgency and commitment from a broad group of employees and fostering new connections between people from different departments and disciplines can spark innovative ideas for how to better integrate or use technology. Though some sensitive information may not be appropriate to share between teams, problems are often better addressed by a diverse group of people who can approach the issue from different directions.
Find a set time for teams to convene and be intentional about introducing them to one another. In doing so, keep in mind who has bandwidth for an extra brainstorming session and who might not. The collaboration will be a non-starter if the teams involved feel overburdened and forced to participate. It should be a “want to” instead of “have to” activity. Elevate early adopters to champion the transformation and establish change as a team sport in which everyone is playing on the same side.
Provide Learning and Development Opportunities
While any type of digital transformation includes an educational component designed to teach employees how to use new platforms or processes, most training sessions overload learners with information and neglect to connect it to everyday responsibilities. This leads to minimal knowledge being retained and employees walking away feeling more overwhelmed than before the session. Instead, leaders should advocate for a series of gradual training with shorter sessions that incorporate hands-on walk-throughs and focus on what is most applicable to that cohort’s day-to-day responsibilities. Offer sessions at a few different times to give employees the flexibility they need to learn about new technology without becoming stressed about the other work they aren’t getting done in the meantime. Making the adoption as easy as possible for employees and allowing them to approach it on their own terms will lead to higher success rates and a better return on investment.
Bringing new digital tools and solutions into the mix can spark new actions and leadership across the employee base, leading to autonomy, agility, and innovation in addition to the benefits of the solutions themselves. Some employees may become experts in a specific tool and find ways for colleagues to innovate and leverage it more effectively, while others may take the time regained from digitizing a process to pursue another area of interest or a side project for the team. Digital transformation should be positioned as – and is – an opportunity to advance careers, rather than an intimidating project.
As the budget process evolves and funding is collected for digital transformation projects, government leaders should maximize resources by empowering their people. Introducing change doesn’t need to be an uphill battle; providing everyone with tools, time, and purpose will make it as smooth and effective as possible.
Shaun Spearmon is a Director at Kotter, where he helps clients successfully transform their organizations and accelerate the implementation of their most strategic objectives.
