The innovation professional as the orchestrator of change

INTERVIEW WITH ANTONIO SALVADOR, CAREER BUSINESS UNIT DIRECTOR AT MERCER

ANTONIO SALVADOR, DIRECTOR OF MERCER’S CAREER BUSINESS UNIT AND AUTHOR OF THE BOOK “TRANSFORMAÇÃO DIGITAL — UMA JORNADA QUE VAI MUITO ALÉM DA TECNOLOGIA” (DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION — A JOURNEY THAT GOES FAR BEYOND TECHNOLOGY), TELLS US ABOUT OBSTACLES AND PATHWAYS TO UNLOCKING INNOVATION IN COMPANIES.

ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OFFICERS, ANTONIO SALVADOR, DIRECTOR OF CAREER’S BUSINESS UNIT AT MERCER BRASIL CONSULTANCY, IS ONE OF THE VOICES IN THE MARKET THAT HAS ALWAYS HIGHLIGHTED THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF COMPANIES. IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED “TRANSFORMAÇÃO DIGITAL — UMA JORNADA QUE VAI MUITO ALÉM DA TECNOLOGIA” (DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION — A JOURNEY THAT GOES FAR BEYOND TECHNOLOGY), WRITTEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DANIEL CASTELLO, HE TALKS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH COMPANY MAKING THE CHANGES ACCORDING TO ITS CULTURE, AND NOT ONLY FOLLOWING THE MARKET TRENDS.

IN THIS CHAT WITH THE FUNNEL, SALVADOR WARNS FOR THE ROLE OF THE INNOVATION PROFESSIONAL, WHO MUST LEAD THIS PROCESS AS A CONDUCTOR, BUT CAREFULLY NOT TO CAUSE RESISTANCE AMONG THE OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN THE ORGANIZATION. “I SEE A LOT OF INNOVATION LEADERS WANTING TO APPEAR IN THE PHOTO, AS IF HE/SHE WERE THE ONES BRINGING THE NEW THING TO THE COMPANY. THIS CREATES HUGE RESISTANCE IN OTHER PEOPLE AND PREVENTS THEM FROM GETTING SUPPORT, MAKING CHANGE DIFFICULT,” SAYS SALVADOR, WHO IS ALSO A PROFESSOR, AN ANGEL INVESTOR IN STARTUPS, AND HAS WORKED AT GRUPO PÃO DE AÇÚCAR, HP, AND PWC.

You recently released, in partnership with Daniel Castello, a book on digital transformation. In practice, what is digital transformation and how should it be applied?

Digital transformation is about creating value for the consumer, for people. The added value that wasn’t there, which was probably only created because of this world of possibilities that we are living now — and then, it has to do with technology. The data and Artificial Intelligence explosion is making it possible to generate value that was not possible before. In the book, we tried to reflect a little on this, because it’s not just about applying Artificial Intelligence, using data or having an e-commerce site. There is already a template, a manual on how to do things. But, what can be seen is that the greatest barriers for companies to succeed in digital transformation are in strategy, execution, people, and culture. And, the more we investigated the subject, the more we realized that the great barrier is really in people. Because resistance to technology, especially in relation to the immediate impact it has, has always been there. What happens today is that everything is faster.

How does one develop a culture of innovation in companies?

There are many factors. I think there are lenses that you need to look through in order to make the best decisions, considering what’s relevant to you. And, for me, the first one is coherence. You cannot simply replicate what Google does. “Oh, are we digital now? Then, let’s switch to shorts, paint the walls yellow, put on some beanbags, and now we are digital”. You need to be coherent with what you believe. Do you like to wear a tie? Then, wear a tie, but also respect those who don’t want to wear one. Another important thing is that you need to understand how all these seismic movements that are happening in the world impact your reality and have conversations within your company, within your work group, that allow your professionals to discuss this. How do you change something? Talking, understanding.

Another very important point for all companies that are in the process of transformation is to define which are the two or three emblematic decisions that will point the company’s direction. The matter of education is important, but in an environment full of adults only education is not enough. It’s no use saying you’re going to innovate if your incentive system is all focused on delivering the old. And these decisions can be new processes, or removing people who are harmful to the company, who are not aligned with the future you are preparing. These major decisions are the most varied. Start with what you consider that transmits the right message and is in line with your culture.

What should companies take into consideration when structuring their innovation processes?

There is a maxim in boards of directors which is as follows: you can kill a company by not recognizing that it is in crisis. Identifying the crisis is very important. But also you cannot treat a company that is not in crisis as a crisis. You can kill the organization by doing that.

How should the innovation head behave in this process?

The innovation professional must be the big orchestrator of the change. But, he needs to have a finger inside and a finger outside the organization. He cannot just take the pulse of what is happening in the market. Because sometimes what you see in the market is not applicable, it is going to generate great internal resistance and then, it does not generate value. If you don’t add value, sorry, go do something else. The innovation head has to have a very strong change management skill and a controlled ego, because his/her goal is to make others who appear in the picture shine. I see a lot of innovation people wanting to appear in the photo, as if he/she was brought the new thing to the company. This creates a great deal of resistance in other people and prevents you from getting support, making change difficult.

Another important thing for the innovation professional is to know how to lose a battle in order to win the war. There are innovation professionals who are very passionate about the cause. An idea may be brilliant, but it may be too soon to implement it. Is there no other way, another proposal, a middle ground? It all depends on the company timing.

What are the main lessons that the pandemic has brought to the world of work?

The discussion of technology and digital transformation is here to stay. It was incipient, a huge crisis came and then, it entered the world’s agenda. The home office, understood as another alternative that we didn’t use, is also here to stay. Travel for work, for example, will be drastically reduced. I’ve already had quick trips to Miami, to France. This doesn’t make any sense, since I could participate via videoconference. I think all this is here to stay, as well as automation, the more intensive use of technology. But, I believe we are going to have a regression to on-site at first until we find the balance. Many more conservative companies are still suffering a lot with the virtual. It’s like a pendulum movement: we were in the time of the can’t, then came a moment for the total home office. It will come back a little to the on-site before reaching balance.