1. Strive for digital fluency.
The digital world is rapidly becoming integrated into all aspects of the workplace. A familiarity with new technologies allows managers to embrace and understand the digital and integrate that thinking into day-to-day decisions and planning. Just because your kid is using a new product on their phone doesn’t mean it is terrible. Your employees and customers may also be using these same technologies and understanding them gives you an advantage.
2. Collect new digital competencies.
Digital leaders don’t just understand what’s happening online — they seek proficiency. So encourage your team to wire their brains to today’s technology (this goes for you too), then look at how it will impact your business and plan accordingly.
3. Experiment often.
Embrace the loss of control new digital technologies bring, try out a new process made efficient by an online tool or mobile app — spend time in the digital world and allow yourself to play.
4. Collaborate.
Many new digital technologies are built for collaboration, so embrace that foundation and use it to create new connections or partnerships — or just to understand what others are doing in your sector, across town or across the world.
5. Understand data mining.
The data coming from new technologies is gold. Look at new ways to use that data, perhaps to better understand your business or customers, or to research which new products to offer or markets to explore.
6. Be a team player.
Today’s employees, especially those in the tech field, have fewer boundaries about work hours. Working 9 to 5 in the cubicle is definitely not the way things are progressing. The office of the future allows flexible work schedules, alternative work locations and fosters employees’ experimentation with digital technologies.
7. Learn continuously.
The beauty — or curse — of the digital world is that once you think you’ve got it, it changes. Expect a constant learning curve and embrace it.
8. Search for new ideas.
Being open to opportunities and ideas is not enough. Actively search for those ideas that will transform your business. They may not come from the traditional sources; in fact, they probably won’t, so take a risk and start broadening your field of view. Think of yourself as an explorer in a vast and exciting territory.
9. Change fast.
Digital changes. Rapidly. And the business models that follow digital are all about being nimble, whether that means adapting to changing market conditions, fluctuating customer demands or a new market push by a competitor. Move swiftly, fail fast, change strategy, try again and bingo — it works.
