Leading Transformation with a Human Centered Mindset

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Erin Buonomo
Director of Design, IBM Sustainability Software
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Embracing Transformation in Business

I'm Aaron Bonello and it's an honor to share insights on the critical aspect of transformation, particularly in the business world. The shift toward digital transformation is an undertaking by a multitude of industries globally, powered by various driving factors such as changing consumer behaviors, market forces, technological disruption, and the ever-growing focus on sustainability and social impact.

Understanding the Necessity for Transformation

The need for transformation can stem from the changing dynamics of engagement with consumers, the demands of a diverse range of seamlessly integrated services, or even the continuous deployment of technologies such as hybrid cloud automation and AI. These factors constitute new opportunities as well as potential risks for businesses, necessitating the requirement to evolve and adapt.


The understanding that transformation is not an option, but rather an essential tool to secure the future of businesses, serves as the driving force behind my discussion today. A technologist by profession, a mother, and wife in personal life, my experience in the tech industry for the past 20 years has been comprised of transformations, evolutions, and changes. And today, I hope to share some of the valuable lessons I've learned along the way.

Appreciating Human-Centric Transformation

Any successful transformation in businesses is more than merely adopting new technologies or changing methods of operation; it involves redefining old structures, revising outdated processes, and adopting a change in mindset. One of the more significant challenges lies in assisting individuals—the humans in these operations—to overcome their fears and resistance to change. After all, humans drive decisions and behaviors through emotions, so change is going to be assessed more emotionally than rationally, varying from individual to individual.

The Key Elements of Successful Transformation

  • Leadership: Having committed and digitally competent leaders to push the initiative is vital.
  • Investment: Investing in necessary training and education to equip the workforce of the future is crucial.
  • Cultural shift: Fostering an empowering culture that encourages individuals to adopt new work methods is beneficial to transformation.
  • Communication: Providing a clear and frequent recount of the change story to promote understanding within the organization plays a pivotal role in successful transformation.

Driving Innovative Change and Transformation

While transformation is identified as critical, understanding why 70% of transformation initiatives fail is necessary. Humans need to be the agents of transformation, not just the casualties of it. It's time to lead transformation with a more focused, human-centered approach. By listening, understanding, and appealing to the core humanity of people, innovative change and transformation can be successfully driven forward—leveraging empathy as a key guiding principle.

The Need for Sustainable Transformation

Undoubtedly, transformation never truly ends; it's an ongoing journey. But regardless of its exhausting and accelerating nature, developing a "change muscle" to create a sustainable culture within our teams is crucial. And there are three key takeaways to consider in this journey:

  1. People-first attitude: Start the transformation process by prioritizing people over technology.
  2. Incremental approach: Start small with a clear vision (North Star), and focus on tangible outcomes to build momentum.
  3. Human-centered mindset: Incorporate a human-centric mindset into your company’s DNA and anticipate resistance to change.

In conclusion, success in our age requires a new level of resilience and agility rooted in responsible, purpose-driven, human-led business practices. Being human-centric is considerably easier said than done. However, the ability to turn those ambitions into actions poses the real challenge. And as we move forward, let's consistently ask the tough questions to ensure we keep humans at the center of every transformation journey.


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