Lancaster University Management School professor has designed Evolve Digital to help North West family business leaders successfully navigate digital transformation.

  • Professor Steve Kempster has designed Evolve Digital, an online programme to help SME family business owners to adopt new technologies
  • The programme is part of a national research study backed by BEIS and Innovate UK
  • Fully-funded places are available to small, family-run North West SMEs
  • The next Evolve Digital cohorts begin in February and April

A Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) academic is encouraging business leaders who are keen to adopt new digital technologies, to first ensure they have a thorough understanding of their own leadership styles, strengths and weaknesses.

Professor Steve Kempster, LUMS professor of leadership, learning and development, says that although the pandemic has emphasised the importance of digital, business leaders need to put the right foundations in place if any digital transformation is to be successful.

Professor Kempster said: “The pandemic has made it clear that if we don’t shape the digitalisation of our businesses, it will shape us. But when SME owners or directors are concerned about their future, it is essential not to make a knee-jerk decision about a new digital ‘solution’.

“Instead, business leaders have to first understand themselves and their leadership styles: technology is the enabler but the drive for successful change comes from strong and clear leadership.

“Particularly in SMEs, leaders need to bring their teams around to the change: presenting a clear and compelling narrative about why and how the new technology will help to increase productivity and future-proof the business”.

In Cumbria:

Fully-funded, online programme for family-run North West SMEs

To help business leaders navigate this digital transformation, Professor Kempster has designed Evolve Digital, an online programme that supports SME family business owners to successfully adopt new technologies.

LUMS has been selected by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK to deliver the programme, which is part of a national research study. The outcomes will inform UK government policy on the needs of small, family businesses.

Evolve Digital is one of the most recent programmes in LUMS’ decades-long history of translating the latest academic research into tailored and practical support for SMEs across the UK.

Places on Evolve Digital are available to eligible North West businesses that employ between two and 50 people. Sessions are delivered online over three months for around 15 hours per month. Places are fully-funded by BEIS and Innovate UK.

Professor Kempster said: “Evolve Digital is first about building leadership skills - courage, conviction and strength of character in our participants.

“We then support them to think strategically about their business objectives and develop a firm grasp of the business strategy, its capabilities and capacity.

“This grounding in knowing themselves and their business provides a solid foundation for assessing new technologies – or indeed any future change and gaining buy-in and leading implementation”.

Why SME family business owners face a particular challenge

Professor Kempster explains that the programme is aimed at small family business leaders because of the unique challenges they face when it comes to implementing change.

He continues: “Particularly in family-run businesses change can bring emotional as well as practical challenges. It means grappling with issues like ‘who has the power to make the final decision?’ and ‘is it riskier to make a change or stick with the status quo?’.  There is a great deal of pressure on leaders: no one wants to be the last generation of a family business”.

The Cumbrian business owner who’s already benefitting from the scheme

Helen Lawrie is business development manager at Kendal-based film production company Land & Sky Media which she runs with her partner, Dom Bush. Helen joined the first cohort of businesses on the Evolve Digital programme last autumn. She said: “Although we create a digital product – our documentaries, I still often feel cautious about introducing new technology to the business.

“We wanted to use technology to streamline our behind-the-scenes processes, allowing Dom and I to spend our time on the things we can’t digitalise: developing relationships and making great documentaries. But it was hard to know where to start.

“Although we are partners in life as well as in business, I do need to work to bring Dom around to my way of thinking sometimes! Fortunately, the first part of Evolve Digital focused on how we can get our teams to buy into change.

“We then went on to understand our leadership styles and business strategy so we have a good grounding for implementing change.

“I’m already feeling more confident in making considered, strategic, digital changes to the business to help us become more efficient and productive in future”.

New Evolve Digital cohorts are beginning on February 10 and April 27.

To find out more, and to register interest in taking part, go to lancaster.ac.uk/lums/evolve-digital