I know we should digitalize, but where do we start?

I’m at an event and I start talking with a business owner. He is currently struggling with his company. He works very hard but doesn’t get the results he wants. What used to work for years doesn’t anymore. He is exhausted.

When I tell him that I am an expert in digital leadership and transformation, he says that he knows he should digitalize but he doesn’t know where to start, and he is so busy solving issues that he doesn’t have the time to transform.

I very often hear this from leaders: I don’t have the time, and even if I had the time, I wouldn’t know where to start.

So where should you start?

The first thing you should start doing is to stop what you’re doing J. If you continue, you’ll probably end up digging your own grave. And I have to warn you: you will need to pause often because this is a process you’re starting, not simply an action you’re taking.

If you don’t know how to stop, you can download these tips on how to pause.

You’ll have to stop for several reasons:

• To analyze things and find the root causes instead of just the symptoms
• To manage your energy because without energy you won’t be able to tackle the challenges
• To learn new habits and skills (that’s how you adapt)
• To let your creative brain work (trust me, you’ll need it)

If what you do doesn’t deliver the results you want anymore, it’s most probably because your market has changed and your customer has new needs. Do you have the feeling your customer has become very demanding? That’s your clue.

No worries—you don’t need to become a technology wizard to become successful in digital times. But you will need a new mindset, new business techniques and new leadership habits.

The first mindshift is transforming from offering products and services to offering a great customer experience

Your customer probably has so many options that he doesn’t know what to choose anymore. He’s become confused and demanding. Help him feel better by giving him a great customer experience from the moment he contacts your company. Your product doesn’t have to be the best; it’s mostly the experience that counts today.

Why is your customer buying from you? What is the transformation he wants? What are his fears and his dreams? Who does he want to become? How can you help him with his transformation?

That is where you should start. Stop and shift toward customer experience. Digitalization is only a way of offering that experience, and you’ll find many people or companies that will help you with that.

If you want to learn more about the next steps in your digital transformation, I organize free Masterclasses about this topic. You can follow it by registering here. This Masterclass from Solvay Brussels School has opened the eyes of many leaders and helped them transform themselves and their organization.