As the adage goes, actions speak louder than words.

This phrase may not ring any truer than when it comes to digital transformation. Perhaps it's because as an industry we've been talking about it for a while, but the latest fad seems to be organizations congratulating themselves for a digital transformation well done.

If you've followed our work here at Intellyx, you'll know that we think that these proclamations are naive at best - and delusional, at worst. True digital transformation is a capability organizations must build and sustain, not a project that they can complete.

Nevertheless, organizations are rushing to the bully pulpit of the industry press to talk about their successful digital transformation initiatives, their revitalized technology platforms and the new, avant-garde management approaches they are implementing.

But look beneath the covers, and you'll find organizations that appear remarkably like they did before the supposed transformation occurred. There is not a lot of real action beneath those words.

The reason is as simple as it is devastating. Executing real digital transformation requires fundamental shifts in just about every facet of the organizational structure, operating model and business strategy.

That flavor of transformation, however, is a lot harder than merely executing a technology project. It requires a very different type of organizational talent - a kind that is sorely missing in most enterprises. This talent gap is the real reason most efforts are stalling. And it is digital transformation's silent killer.

Digital Transformation: Changing How We Work

Digital Transformation demands that enterprises re-envision their business models, organizational structures and operational workflows at every level. These will be fundamental business transformations - and they will take courage and leadership from the corporate board and on down through every level of management.

Part of the reason that we scoff at those executives who tout their successful transformation efforts is that we know very few enterprises have even begun to execute these types of foundational changes.

But there is no question that these changes are coming. Whether via visionary leadership or a scurried response to a disruptive competitor, enterprise organizations will either fundamentally transform their core business models - or they will fade out of existence.

The result of this type of business transformation, however, will also transform the very essence of the organization itself - and what it means to work within it. But most enterprises are doing very little to reshape their workforce for their near-future reality.

The Digitally Transformed Workforce

The workforce of the digitally transformed organization will look very different from today's workforce. The essence of digital transformation will cause organizations to restructure core business processes, workflows and customer engagement models.

But it will be more than just a different way of working; it will be a very different type of work. Organizations will invest heavily in the automation of these re-envisioned business processes and customer engagements.

Additionally, technologies such as artificial intelligence will obviate many job functions - either in part or whole - that presently consume tremendous amounts of employee resources. Moreover, new business and operating models will necessitate a move toward new organizational models that rely more heavily on self-organization and other less hierarchical management models.

Put all of these changes together, and it becomes clear that the very nature of work in the digitally transformed enterprise will look starkly different than in its industrial age predecessor. In the transformed enterprise, the organization will automate any task that it can reduce to an algorithm - a shocking predominance of the work in most enterprises.

This AI and algorithm-powered automation will yield substantial gains in productivity and efficiency, but will also entirely disrupt many, if not most, current job functions.

The question is, how will organizations adapt the workforce to this new reality?

This is the big, unanswered question as most organizations are only now beginning to grapple with it. The great challenge is that creating this type of transformed workforce will require individual and personal transformation - transformation that is difficult to manage at an enterprise level.

Organizations will need their workforce to execute this type of personal transformation because the nature of work in the digitally transformed organization will demand not only new skills, but new attitudes.

Closing the Talent Gap

You need to close this talent gap and get going on the not-so-fun and admittedly arduous work of executing the broad, foundational transformation that your organization needs if it hopes to compete in the digital era.

To close this gap, you should take three simple, if challenging actions.

First, you must acknowledge the fundamental nature of digital transformation and the impact it will have on how the enterprise works. You must accept that it will impact nearly every role and will require an almost entirely new set of skills.

Second, you need to come clean with your organization. You cannot sugar-coat this any longer. There will be no more business-as-usual. Things are going to change - everything is going to change - and everyone in the organization needs to understand it. It will be exciting for some, but terrifying for most. As their leader, your job will be to calm their fears without placating them with false assurances.

Finally, you must make it clear that the first step of this type of fundamental transformation is a personal transformation - and that each member of your team must take personal responsibility for their own transformation. No amount of corporate retraining programs, organizational change initiatives or motivational speakers can transform someone who is not first willing to transform themselves.

The Intellyx Take

The relative lack of progress when it comes to digital transformation often surprises and dismays industry observers, myself included. It would seem especially surprising when you take into account the endless drumbeat about both the need for transformation and the proclaimed success stories.

In truth, however, it should be no surprise at all. As with any significant organizational or cultural change, the first order of business was to get some quick wins.

As organizations marched forward with their digital transformation efforts, they adopted the language of transformation and proceeded to execute what amounted to technology transformation initiatives. The intentions were right, the efforts true and the results real - but they were also shallow representations of the true essence of digital transformation.

The problem with this quick win approach was that it created a false sense of progress - especially when the not-so-quick wins require such fundamental changes to the way everything works. As a result, digital transformation efforts stalled after these initial victories.

The reason they stalled is that there is a visceral talent gap in enterprise organizations that no one acknowledges. Few enterprises have staff capable of leading and executing this sort of foundational business transformation, which must occur at every level and across every job function and role.

Moreover, the organizational change required to transform both these core operational and customer engagement models - along with the corresponding changes to the job functions necessary to support them - is significant and potentially debilitating if enterprises do not execute them with precision.

Throw in a healthy dose of employee resistance-to-change, and you get organizational stagnation. The net result is not good news: the talent gap is silently killing digital transformation efforts at the very moment that executives are claiming their success.

If you're an enterprise executive (and if you're not, send this to one), consider this your wake-up call. The time to acknowledge the talent gap and close it is now.

Copyright © Intellyx LLC. Intellyx publishes the Agile Digital Transformation Roadmap poster, advises companies on their digital transformation initiatives, and helps vendors communicate their agility stories. As of the time of writing, none of the organizations mentioned in this article are Intellyx customers.

DXWorldEXPO LLC, the producer of the world's most influential technology conferences and trade shows has announced the conference tracks for CloudEXPO | DXWorldEXPO 2018 New York.

DXWordEXPO, colocated with Cloud Expo will be held November 11-13, 2018, in New York City.

Digital Transformation (DX) is a major focus with the introduction of DXWorldEXPO within the program. Successful transformation requires a laser focus on being data-driven and on using all the tools available that enable transformation if they plan to survive over the long term.

A total of 88% of Fortune 500 companies from a generation ago are now out of business. Only 12% still survive. Similar percentages are found throughout enterprises of all sizes.

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

DXWordEXPO 2018 New York and Cloud Expo 2018 New York agenda presents 222 rockstar faculty members, 200 sessions and 22 keynotes and general sessions in 10 distinct conference tracks.

• Cloud-Native | Serverless
• DevOpsSummit
• FinTechEXPO - New York Blockchain Event
• CloudEXPO - Enterprise Cloud
• DXWorldEXPO - Digital Transformation (DX)
• Smart Cities | IoT | IIoT
• AI | Machine Learning | Cognitive Computing
• BigData | Analytics
• The API Enterprise | Mobility | Security
• Hot Topics | FinTech | WebRTC

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

2018 Conference Agenda and Tracks, November 11-13, New York City

CloudEXPO covers all of these tools, with the most comprehensive program and with 222 top world-class speakers throughout our industry presenting Keynotes, General Sessions, Breakout Sessions along 10 focused tracks, as well as our signature Power Panels. Our Expo Floor brings together the world's leading companies throughout the world of Cloud Computing, Digital Transformation, and all they entail.

As your enterprise creates a vision and strategy that enables you to create your own unique, long-term success, learning about all the technologies involved is essential. Companies today not only form multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures, but create them with built-in cognitive capabilities.

Cloud-native thinking is now the norm in financial services, manufacturing, telco, healthcare, transportation, energy, media, entertainment, retail and other consumer industries, as well as the public sector.

CloudEXPO is the world's most important, independent event where technology buyers and vendors meet to experience and discuss the big picture of Digital Tranformation and all of the strategies, tactics, and tools they need to realize their goals.

FinTech Is Now Part of the DXWorldEXPO / CloudEXPO Program!

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 22nd DXWorldEXPO | CloudEXPO November 11-13, 2018 in New York City will find fresh new content in two new tracks called:

• FinTechEXPO
• New York Blockchain Event

which will incorporate machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and blockchain in two distinct tracks.

Financial enterprises in New York City, London, Singapore, and other world financial capitals are embracing a new generation of smart, automated FinTech that eliminates many cumbersome, slow, and expensive intermediate processes from their businesses.

FinTech brings efficiency as well as the ability to deliver new services and a much improved customer experience throughout the global financial services industry. FinTech is a natural fit with cloud computing, as new services are quickly developed, deployed, and scaled on public, private, and hybrid clouds.

More than US$20 billion in venture capital is being invested in FinTech this year. DXWorldEXPO / CloudEXPO is pleased to bring you the latest FinTech developments as an integral part of our program.

CloudEXPO is accepting submissions for this new track, so please visit www.CloudComputingExpo.com for the latest information or contact us at [email protected].

Register for Full Conference "Gold Pass" ▸ Here (Expo Hall ▸ Here)

Download Slide Deck ▸ Here

Only CloudEXPO brings together all this in a single location:

Attend CloudEXPO. Build your own custom experience. Learn about the world's latest technologies and chart your course to Digital Transformation.

22nd International CloudEXPO, taking place November 11-13, 2018, in New York City, will feature technical sessions from a rock star conference faculty and the leading industry players in the world.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Download Slide Deck: ▸ Here

Cloud computing is now being embraced by a majority of enterprises of all sizes. Yesterday's debate about public vs. private has transformed into the reality of hybrid cloud: a recent survey shows that 74% of enterprises have a hybrid cloud strategy. Meanwhile, 94% of enterprises are using some form of XaaS - software, platform, and infrastructure as a service.

With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend and learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.

Every Global 2000 enterprise in the world is now integrating cloud computing in some form into its IT development and operations. Midsize and small businesses are also migrating to the cloud in increasing numbers.

Download Slide Deck: ▸ Here

Companies are each developing their unique mix of cloud technologies and services, forming multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures and deployments across all major industries. Cloud-driven thinking has become the norm in financial services, manufacturing, telco, healthcare, transportation, energy, media, entertainment, retail and other consumer industries, and the public sector.

CloudEXPO is the single show where technology buyers and vendors can meet to experience and discus cloud computing and all that it entails. Sponsors of CloudEXPO will benefit from unmatched branding, profile building and lead generation opportunities through:

• Featured on-site presentation and ongoing on-demand webcast exposure to a captive audience of industry decision-makers.
• Showcase exhibition during our new extended dedicated expo hours
• Breakout Session Priority scheduling for Sponsors that have been guaranteed a 35-minute technical session
• Online advertising on 4,5 million article pages in SYS-CON's i-Technology Publications
• Capitalize on our Comprehensive Marketing efforts leading up to the show with print mailings, e-newsletters and extensive online media coverage.
• Unprecedented PR Coverage: Unmatched editorial coverage on Cloud Computing Journal.
  
• Tweetup to over 100,000 plus Twitter followers
• Press releases sent on major wire services to over 500 industry analysts.

For more information on sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities, contact [email protected].

Speaking Opportunities

Download Slide Deck: ▸ Here

The upcoming 22nd International DXWorldEXPO | CloudEXPO, November 11-13, 2018 in New York City, NY announces that its Call For Papers for speaking opportunities is open.

Submit your speaking proposal ▸ Here or by email [email protected].

About DXWorldEXPO LLC

Download Slide Deck: ▸ Here

DXWorldEXPO LLC is a Lighthouse Point, Florida-based trade show company and the creator of DXWorldEXPO - Digital Transformation Conference & Expo. The company produces and presents CloudEXPO, DevOpsSummit, FinTechEXPO - Blockchain Event, the world's most influential conferences and trade shows.

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