Microsoft’s Digital Transformation Journey
Helen Fanucci, our Keynote speaker shares Microsoft's Digital Transformation journey and elaborates the two crucial elements
What does digital transformation mean to sales leaders? Our Keynote speaker, Helen Fanucci, states that Microsoft’s Digital Transformation journey is more than just embracing technology. She says it comes down to business leadership. “It is key to success. Sales leadership, business leadership are really key indicators for success of digital transformation projects, and it has implications for sellers,” Fanucci says.
Crucial elements of Microsoft’s Digital Transformation
Listen to feedback
Listening to our customers and sellers was critical for Microsoft’s Digital Transformation journey.
Fanucci spoke about her previous role as the Global Sales Leader at Windows where she helped launch a new product too soon. “I started getting calls from sellers – saying we just can’t move fast enough to update our operating system on our devices.” Fanucci says through the insights and feedback they were able to change the product.
She believes it’s important to listen to your sales teams and make sure they have a voice to go back to corporate.
“Your sellers have unique insights into the competition, products and what may make your company more competitive.”
She says you also need trust within your organization. While data breaches and cyber-attacks can happen, it’s how companies react and address those issues. “That builds trust with customers, partners and trust with your own internal sellers,” Fanucci says.
Culture is the hard part
If you want your sales team to do their best work, business leaders need to embrace culture and make their employees feel valued. Fanucci says at Microsoft they’ve done a lot of culture changes.
“Without changing behaviors and being able to do and think differently it’s really hard to move quickly as an organization.” Fanucci emphasized that at Microsoft they are focusing on 3 things to change culture:
- Growth Mindset- moving from a ‘know it all’ culture to a learn it all culture.
- Diverse and Inclusive- to come up with diverse ideas and create the best products, you need diverse people.
- Reinforce- leaders need to reinforce culture often.
Lastly, it’s important for organizations to communicate internally and externally. “Communication means to trust, and trust leads to collaboration and collaboration leads to innovation,” Fanucci says.
When you continue to communicate, listen and trust – you can help guide your company through digital transformation.
GDS Group hosts experts to help experts. We strive to provide an atmosphere for our attendees that enables them to confidently lead their companies through major transformation projects. For information on upcoming events, view our Technology Summits and Executive Events. To remain current on our activities, visit GDS Group on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter.
