Digitization is about people and not just digital tools.

Salman Pey, Vice President Buildings, NIRAS.

This phrase has become a common saying in today's business world. It emphasizes the importance of considering the human factor when executing digital strategies. Many companies have invested significant resources in digitization, but not all have succeeded in creating value from these initiatives. This is often due to a lack of attention to the people involved in the process, I will say.

Digital transformation requires changes in the organization, and changes involve people and their behavior. The success of a digital transformation initiative depends on how well the employees adopt and use the digital tools. The employees are the ones who will determine whether the project succeeds or fails. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate behavioral design into the digital strategy to create the best possible conditions for success.

Behavioral design involves understanding how people think, feel, and act, and designing solutions that are tailored to their needs and preferences. By applying behavioral design principles to the digital strategy, companies can increase the likelihood of successful execution.

To operationalize the work with behavioral design in an organization, we can use the following principles:

Change requires profit: To succeed in a digital transformation initiative, it is crucial to have the bandwidth to implement the change. Companies need to ensure that they have the necessary capacity to carry out the project effectively. 

If the company or key employees are fully booked with other tasks, they will not be able to devote the necessary attention to the digital initiative. Companies should consider whether they can increase capacity or stop or throttle back other activities to make room for learning and adoption.

Make it simple: The digital tools used in the project should be user-friendly and easy to understand. Companies should invest in training and support to ensure that employees can use the tools with confidence. The more straightforward the tools are, the more likely they are to be adopted.

Remember, the new tool should simplify the process and not complicate it!

Use social proof:People tend to adopt new behaviors when they see others doing it. Companies can use social proof to encourage employees to use new digital tools by showcasing success stories and early adopters. One effective way to achieve this is by selecting employees who may not seem likely to use the tools and providing them with training and support. Encourage them to share their experiences with the new tools, and highlight their success stories as examples for others to follow.

Find the write moment:At NIRAS, we strongly believe in the Just-in-Time principle, which emphasizes the importance of providing employees with digital tools precisely when they need them. By implementing this principle at the project level, we ensure that our team members are highly motivated to learn new skills and apply them immediately. This approach maximizes the effectiveness of our interventions, as our team members have access to the necessary resources exactly when they need them. Ultimately, this leads to better outcomes for our projects and greater satisfaction for our clients.

limited brain capacity:Bringing together ten visionary leaders to create a strategy can be a powerful way to drive change. However, it's important to remember that change takes time, and individuals have limited resources to process and implement new ideas. Simply pushing new tools and ideas onto an organization can be overwhelming and counterproductive.

At NIRAS, we understand the importance of implementing change in a strategic and thoughtful way. Our implementation concept is designed to take into account who we want to change the behavior of and when specific tools should be implemented. By carefully selecting the timing and sequence of changes, we can avoid overwhelming the organization with too many measures at once.

This approach ensures that each change is given the attention it deserves and that employees have the time and resources they need to adapt. By implementing changes strategically, we can maximize their impact and achieve better outcomes.

Peak End Rules:For people to implement change, they must remember why it is important. This means that creating memorable highlights is crucial for influencing people's memory. Therefore, when presenting, it's essential to create one or more memorable points to help people retain the key message. A good ending is also important to reinforce the main idea and leave a lasting impression.

In addition, it can be helpful to do something unexpected in your presentation to create a peak moment. This can be as simple as using humor or an attention-grabbing prop, or as elaborate as a dramatic demonstration. By creating a memorable peak moment, you can ensure that your audience stays engaged and remembers your message long after the presentation is over.

In conclusion, it's important to remember that change takes time and effort. Instead of trying to lift everyone in an organization, it's more effective to focus on getting as many people on board as possible.

if you want to start with behavior design I would recommend a book called “ I'm Afraid Debbie from Marketing Has Left for the Day” from Morten Münster.

Thanks for reading the article

By, Salman Pey, Vice President Buildings, NIRAS.