Successful Digital Transformation Starts with Compassion

When implementing a digital transformation most companies start with a Proof of Concept (POC) in order to prove the value. However, doing a POC where there is a lack of business engagement or clear problem definition is a problem for disaster.

This happens too often because we do not take the time to understand our users needs but rather try to fit our idea/solution to their problem.

In order to fix this, we need a dose of compassion. Compassion is seeing someone’s problem, feeling their pain, and then creating a solution to remove that pain. Compassion moves beyond empathy by not only feeling their pain but creating a solution. This herein is where the transformation happens.

Technology is merely a tool, not a solution. Therefore, in order to successfully implement a digital transformation in your business one has to first start with the human element and approach the problem with compassion. If you want to see your project get off the ground and be successful, meet your users where they are today. Understand their pain points, struggles, and needs. It may seem counterintuitive, but in order to implement technology successfully we need more of a human element rather than a technology element.

Programs that start with compassion first and foremost listen and understand, then they take what they heard and remove the biases for how one might implement a solution. Secondly, a program that starts with compassion does not try to find the fanciest or coolest solution, but rather looks for the fastest most applicable way to implement the solution for a results driven approach.

If you are having issues with your program getting off the ground then I suggest you take a step back, remove your ego, and look to see how you can add more compassion into your digital transformation. Everyone must go on the journey so why not go on the journey with your users, as this is the only way true transformation happens.