Why an effective modern digital culture can make a difference in 2021

Written by: María Eugenia Raffaele

In this turmoil of rapid change, I bet you’re wondering how you can stay ahead of the game in 2021 and build a modern digital culture that makes  a difference.  

The pandemic and the emergence of a hybrid work model has amplified the urgency for companies to enhance technology to transcend physical boundaries, become more agile, and keep everyone more focused and productive. Now, what HR managers should always bear in mind is that a fundamental – but often under-acknowledged – concept of any digital transformation is fostering the company culture. 

No doubt building a digital culture  is important  to stay relevant and competitive in the business, but if you take the people component out of the equation, the result will be teams working with agile technology but surrounded by the wrong kind of culture. In simple words,  a potential disaster.  Our objective in this article is to bring out the true essence of what a digital organizational culture implies and guide you on how you can embrace digitalization to create an agile organization structure with collaborative and self-managed teams able to reach their highest potential and boost your business.

 What is digital culture about?

If you believe that a digital culture at work comes down  to simply implementing digital software in your company – sorry to say it but no. It’s all about creating a solid organizational culture and making the best of it through the use  of the right technology. When HR managers get to see this, they already have a great competitive advantage, as their company becomes a place where employees are more engaged, agile and productive because they love the place where they work. 

In this involuntary, global work-from-home new normal, it’s becoming increasingly important for business managers to think carefully which technological tools can give them real-time and measurable insight of their workforce dynamics, so that they can take data-based actions that improve people’s experience and make the most of their organizational culture.  

Now, why does culture matter so much? Simply because it transforms your company into a team. Specially nowadays, without an organizational culture that brings people together and keeps them aligned, no one will feel they are working for a common purpose. Can you imagine the negative impact that can have on your business? The culture at your organization sets expectations for how people behave and work collaboratively, breaking down boundaries of time and space. And when technology helps you enhance all that, you’ve nailed it! You officially have a successful digital culture.

How to make it happen

An effective digital organizational culture can make a substantial difference in the way you approach performance management in 2021. There are 3 main points you should consider to achieve this:

Results? A working environment with high-performing, committed and autonomous individuals who work together towards the same goals. In a context where Covid-19 sets people apart, a solid digital culture at work is more important than ever to have positively integrated and motivated teams with the ability to take agile decisions, and leaders who plan effective strategies and make data-based decisions that turn employees into invaluable talents.  

Take the case of StarMeUp, for instance – an all-in-one engagement  and performance digital platform. Leaders who embrace these types of tools are provided with valuable insights in real time that allow them to boost their company’s culture by improving the employee experience and, thus, leveraging productivity. Your digital culture with StarMeUp would look something like this:

The diagram above shows you the example of  a digital culture at work in which technology allows companies to use  behavioral data to understand the true dynamics of their organization and, in consequence, boost engagement and performance. Besides, this is an ongoing process in which your culture is nourished everyday in order to grow strong and become more competitive in the world of business. 

When data gives you a holistic and clear picture of people’s day-to-day experience, your management becomes also more productive, as you can, among other things:

• Communicate with people in real time to enhance their productivity, engagement and passion.
• Identify and retain employees that are key, positive influencers within their organization.
• Gain a more accurate and measurable view of their organizational network dynamics.
• Communicate values and competencies  through positive recognition.
• Set aligned SMART goals with people and make them part of their planning and results.
• Share real-time feedback with anyone within the organization, regardless of geographic location, department or level.
• Encourage employees to share their experiences with colleagues.
• Give people a voice and a space to suggest and vote on new ideas that lead to more dynamic organizational changes.

In other words, with the right technology, you can create an augmented culture with a more agile and competitive business.  Needless to say, it’s not technology that transforms organizations – it’s people. When a company uses technology wisely to bring out that which is unique and amazing from each employee, only then, can we say they have a successful digital culture.

If you still haven’t set up a digital culture, our advice is you start planning it any time soon if you want to make your business effective and competitive. Now, if you are already in the process of a digital transformation, before you rush into decisions, here’s our last advice: First, make sure you have a strong people-centered organizational culture. Then, choose the right technology to help you boost professional growth with end-to-end visibility of every employee.

If you don’t know where to start, or still have doubts about how to make the right choices concerning your digital culture, our team can walk you through to help you stay ahead of the game and become more productive than ever.