The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto - How the People Behind Digital Transformation and Innovation Lead Change from Within

Digital transformation and corporate innovation are among the biggest trends reshaping the future of business. CIOs, CMOs, CDOs and CEOs around are investing in disruptive technologies and agile business models to modernize operations and keep up with market shifts. Investment in digital transformation initiatives alone will reach $2.2 trillion by 2019, according to IDC. And by 2020, digital transformation programs are expected to tap 60% of IT’s budget. That’s part of the misnomer about digital transformation. It’s more of a human story than it is about digital. Yet, everywhere you look, experts are exemplifying the latest and greatest tech trends to guide digital transformation, including, cloud, AI, machine learning, IoT, VR/AR, block chain, quantum computing, etc.

While technology adoption can help, they are not in of themselves the means to an end. They are part of the solution. Behind every case study of digital transformation are the unsung heroes, the digital change agents, who made the case for progress, faced reluctance or obstruction from colleagues/management and stepped outside of their roles to bring cross-functional groups and executives together to update and upgrade operations and business purpose.

For years at Altimeter, I’ve studied digital transformation, corporate innovation and organizational culture to document progress (or the lack thereof) and also the waypoints for accelerating modernization. Much of that work culminated into two important business models, “The Six Stages of Digital Transformation” and “The O.P.P.O.S.I.T.E. Approach to Business as Usual.” But, there was more to the story of digital transformation.

A manifesto for the human side of digital transformation

Each time I interviewed executives and stakeholders to understand the state of digital transformation, I observed an underlying storyline that made me feel like I was more of a therapist than an analyst. Time and time again, I heard the raw, emotional stories of those trying to lead digital/innovation initiatives forward, but were met with substantial obstacles along the way. I remember walking away from many of the conversations wondering if these digital champions would soon leave or if they would find the support they needed to help modernize their companies. Their stories inspired a different type of research report that’s now live, “The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto.”

The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto is several years in the making and shares the lessons and best practices of over 30 industry-leading executives from some of the biggest brands around the world, including Coca-Cola, Equifax, FCC, NFL, Samsung, Starbucks, and Visa. It was developed to help digital change agents around the world, 1) know that they’re not alone, 2) validate their thinking and work and 3) learn how to effectively drive and accelerate change based those who are finding success in their digital transformation work.

Digital transformation comes down to change management…and people

Behind every evolving enterprise, there is a human narrative, rich with stories of people learning, struggling, and eventually mastering how to drive a unified digital transformation strategy. We learned that change agents are often early adopters of digital trends who want to help their companies modernize how they operate and compete. Many started as digital advocates and, over time, developed into experienced transformers.

While change agents are well-versed in all things digital, they aren’t necessarily seasoned or trained at navigating the cultural dynamics that drive change in an organization. They typically pick up leadership and change-management skills on the fly as they learn to face and manage the behavioral challenges that often prevent colleagues from accepting their perspectives, ideas, and digital innovations.

Change agents bring new thinking, mindsets, expertise, and experience in digital to their organizations and are the catalyst to the very bold initiatives that fuel their success. They can build bridges to the C-Suite and to other key stakeholders to make digital innovations happen. But their path is not straightforward. They meet many common, human challenges that include:

• Corporate culture 
• Egos
• Fear
• Cognitive biases
• Self-doubt
• Saboteurs

Change agents can rise from anywhere and they are the unsung heroes in digital transformation

Digital change agents can rise from anywhere in an organization. Marketing and IT tend to lead investment in innovative technology early on — typically driven by the need to modernize marketing and the Customer Experience (CX) overall — so many change agents come from these areas of the business. But anyone who builds digital programs, infrastructure, and capabilities as a part of their work or because they are passionate about digital can become a digital change agent.

To succeed, they must do the hard work of managing change: help others in the organization learn, unlearn, and adopt new ways of thinking and working in order to spark transformation. They also need executive support and empowerment.

Digital change agents and leaders are instrumental in helping their companies more effectively compete in this digital economy and to successfully move them along the Six Stages of Digital Transformation.

But the value of change agents to the organization goes well beyond their digital transformation efforts. By challenging the status quo and championing new ideas, they expand the organization’s thinking, agility, and capabilities. They help instill curiosity and promote an innovative mindset to tackle problems and create opportunities in new ways. They help modernize workforce skillsets and processes. They improve customer and employee experiences. They contribute to the development of potentially profitable products and services. And with each step they take, they help the organization learn and grow. Given their incredible value, leaders should compile a portfolio of digital change agents in their organization and consider how to best deploy and develop each of them.

Please download and share “The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto.”

Brian Solis is principal analyst and futurist at Altimeter, the digital analyst group at Prophet. He's also a world-renowned keynote speaker and 7x best-selling author. His latest book, X: Where Business Meets Design, explores the future of brand and customer engagement through experience design. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Invite him to speak at your next event.