Content transformation 1: Frodo's trusting smile

I just got back from the Netherlands, where I was fortunate enough to be a keynote speaker at the National Congress on Digital Accessibility (Nationaal Congres Digitale Toegankelijkheid).

 

My talk was called “Selling Content Design to Your Boss”. It was about how to get the go-ahead to begin a content transformation project. In other words, it was about the “fun” bit.

 

Writing that talk got me thinking about how projects end. Sometimes it’s with awards and a fanfare. My past work has been like that. 

 

That’s especially true at GOV.UK (where we won a D&AD Black Pencil) and now Llibertat’s work with the University of Southampton (where we’ve won a bunch of ContentEd awards in multiple years) 

 

It’s gratifying when your peers recognise the value of your work. It helps to quieten the voices of the doubters for a short while too. 

 

However, after working with governments in several countries, and with charities and universities, I know for sure that transformation is tough. 

 

I want to acknowledge the toughness of transformation. Framing it is important for people going through it for the first time. 

 

I often see the startled faces when we’re helping clients navigate these stormy seas. If this is you, don’t worry – what you’re feeling right now is normal!

 

My hope and belief is that if Frodo could have read the rest of Lord of the Rings while still at Bag End, he’d still have decided to set off. I hope you will too.

 

According to research by consulting group McKinsey, a full 70% of digital transformation projects fail. Seventy per cent!!!

 

Why is this? Well, the thing is, people generally don’t like change – especially when they have a stake in the status quo. 

 

To make matters worse, organisations are made up of people. 

 

Even digital organisations with robots and so-called ‘artificial intelligence’ need people! The systems and processes and structures and algorithms are all made by, changed by, and often ignored by – people.

 

So, the challenge with any content transformation project is really about how you get the people around you to embrace change. However, that means getting them to embrace change for long enough so you, and they, can get measurable results, embed those results, and arrive at a new normal.

 

It has largely been my job over the last 10 years (and really since the late 90s when I think about it) to help people prepare to commit to change. The course of action needed is in their best interests. However, initially it can feel quite overwhelming. There’s always the temptation to do nothing and ‘see how it goes’.

 

I learned a lot from Tony Robbins on this, as well as from Buddhism. Both Robbins and the Buddha basically highlight the fact that you’re currently in way more pain than you need to be in. Getting clear about this gives you the leverage you need to change course, even if it’s hard. 

 

 Showing the level of an organisation’s pain, and the pain that is inflicting on its users, citizens or customers, can be a game changer. 

 

In the content world, we demonstrate this through content audits, user research findings, analytics, cost-benefit analysis, competitor analysis and other evidence.

 

It could be the pain of a poor reputation, or wasted opportunities, or wasted budget. But whatever it is, it’s pain – and by taking the right action, it could be gone.

 

Check out part two of this series to find out [how to take the right action to make your digital transformation successful – or Part 2 – The beginning of everything else.]