Digital transformation is a formidable process for businesses, altering not only how an organization operates but also how employees work. With so many large-scale changes needed, many leaders struggle to translate big-picture strategy to change on an individual or departmental level.
Rather than pushing change through without clear plans or employee buy-in, company decision makers must ensure employees are a part of the process throughout. Below, 18 Forbes Business Council members offer common mistakes companies make when managing digital transformation across departments. Read on to learn what leaders should do instead to foster better collaboration during this process.
1. Lacking A Clear, Phased Strategy
A common mistake is lacking a clear, phased strategy. Success comes from following structured steps—companies should apply the same approach to digital transformation. Set clear milestones, align goals across departments, and ensure each team understands how the changes drive long-term efficiency and growth. – Michael Lanctot, YoungNRetired
2. Limiting Changes To One Department
A common mistake in digital transformation is limiting it to one department instead of making it a company-wide effort. Success requires leadership alignment and continuous training to ensure all employees adopt and integrate new technologies effectively. – Arnold Sotelo, International Media Group SAC
3. Rushing The Process
A common mistake is rushing into digital transformation without thoroughly outlining requirements across all departments. Skipping this step leads to inefficiencies and more work. Companies should invest time in cross-functional “jam sessions” to document needs, align stakeholders and develop a clear action plan. This ensures accuracy, fosters collaboration and streamlines execution from the start. – David Boice, Team Velocity
4. Failing To Define Terms And Language
A common mistake during transformation projects is not defining common terms or language when setting expectations for a project. Too many assumptions can be made when “industry standard” or buzzwords are used. Different people and teams can define things differently, which then affects how digital projects are delivered. Get definitions in writing and an agreement up front. – Ann Schlemmer, Percona
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5. Framing Digital Transformation As A Positive Change
Don’t frame digital transformation as a positive change. Instead, put on your construction helmet and frame it as a controlled demolition of outdated systems. Employees often resist because they experience it as a loss. Companies should acknowledge this, holding “funerals” for old processes and then mapping out phased demolitions. This will reduce resistance, clarify transformation and make it fun! – Shayne Fitz-Coy, Sabot Family Companies
6. Allowing Departments To Make Individual Changes
A common mistake is when each department makes changes on its own. This leads to confusion and problems with systems. For better teamwork, start by making leaders from every department form a team. This team sets the goal, decides what’s important and makes sure everything works together. Use programs like Microsoft Teams to work together, as it will help make changes easier and get everyone to stay on the same page. – Borislav Malinov, NEXT BASKET
7. Failing To Proactively Address Employee Concerns
Companies often don’t proactively address employee concerns about what they hear in the market. For example, those who may be implementing AI solutions may assume AI could potentially replace employees. These concerns can be alleviated through change management plans and targeted training. Showcase use cases and individual user benefits to foster adoption and cross-departmental collaboration. – Dana Berg, SADA, An Insight company
8. Treating Digital Transformation Like A Tech Upgrade
One mistake is treating digital transformation as a purely technical upgrade rather than a cross-functional strategy. Companies often overlook the need for alignment between departments, leading to siloed efforts and resistance to change. Instead, leaders should establish clear communication channels, involve all key stakeholders early and create shared goals that tie technology adoption to business impact. – Eran Mizrahi, Source86
9. Forcing Change Without Large-Scale Buy-In
Tech alone doesn’t transform—people do. One mistake is forcing change without cross-department buy-in. The fix is appointing a “translator” team, bridging IT, marketing, HR and beyond to align goals, decode jargon and ensure tech serves strategy, not the other way around. When everyone owns the change, true transformation begins. – Arpit Jain, SEO Sets
10. Neglecting To Appoint A Strong Project Manager
Digital transformation often fails due to the lack of a strong project manager with a business-oriented mindset. A project manager understands that you don’t need to build a massive IT system all at once; transformation works best when done step by step. By taking an iterative approach with cross-functional teams, companies can adapt, refine and successfully integrate changes without overwhelming the business. – Egor Karpovich, Travel Code Inc.
11. Buying New Tech Without Providing Employee Training
A common mistake is rushing to buy new technology without first training employees on how to use it properly. When departments get new software but don’t know how to use it well, it just creates frustration. The solution is to have proper training sessions before rolling out new tools widely. Select tech “champions” in each department who can help their coworkers learn and adapt to changes. – Vikrant Shaurya, Authors On Mission
12. Prioritizing Tools Over People
From my experience with tech startups, a big mistake in digital transformation is focusing too much on tools over people. Rolling out new systems without aligning teams can cause pushback and confusion. The key is clear communication, proper training and smart third-party integrations to streamline workflows and boost efficiency. – Andrew Lopez, 1000 Media
13. Assuming Each Department’s Needs
A common mistake is assuming each department’s needs instead of actively listening. Foster collaboration by involving all teams early, anticipating future needs and selecting scalable solutions to prevent disruptions. – Raquel Gomes, Stafi
14. Lacking Emotional Understanding
A common mistake is having a lack of emotional understanding. There must be understanding on a departmental level on how individual teams currently function and operate, as well as how these processes flow, connect and impact each other. Bring everyone to a room and have them map this out. Provide weekly or bi-weekly updates on progress to keep everyone aware and reduce anxiety or resistance later. Gather inputs and sentiments to be considered during this transformation. – Zeenath Kuraisha, Asia Pacific Sales & Marketing Academy Pte Ltd
15. Allowing Departments To Operate In Silos
Digital transformation fails when departments operate in silos and adopt tools that don’t connect. What’s worse is that companies often mistake implementation for adoption, assuming change will just stick. They won’t. The fix is assigning transformation champions across teams to drive alignment, accountability and real adoption. New tech alone doesn’t transform a company—how people use it does. – Hope Horner, Lemonlight
16. Failing To Align Strategy With Cross-Departmental Goals
One mistake is letting tech dictate strategy instead of aligning it with cross-departmental goals. IT, marketing and HR often operate in isolation, creating friction and missed opportunities. To drive real change, companies should embed digital champions in each team, encourage co-creation sessions and link success metrics to collective outcomes, not just individual department wins. – Sam Nelson, Downstreet Digital
17. Hiring More Staff Members
We all know it can be challenging to focus on the big picture when you also micromanage the details. Consider outsourcing some non-core functions rather than hiring more staff ahead of a digital transformation effort. Outsourcing can free up people and resources needed for your initiative while establishing new processes and workflows that help with adoption and drive efficiency. – Dennis DuFour, TDEC
18. Failing To Focus On Outcomes
A common mistake is focusing too much on technology rather than outcomes. Digital transformation isn’t just about new tools—it’s about making daily work easier and more efficient. To foster collaboration, show teams how these changes improve their workflows and impact, not just the tech itself. When employees see real benefits, adoption happens naturally. – Shubham Nigam, Questera AI
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