Fast-Forward to Digital THINKING

Digital transformation requires a leader to have a multi-faceted outlook and experience to integrate new technologies within all the organisational functions and customer touch points. They need to balance short-term achievements with long-term digital strategies as well as local and global aspects of business operations.

Even though more and more organisations are appointing Chief Digital Officers (CDO’s) to oversee the entire process, with 80% hired after 2012, as few as 6% of companies employ a CDO*.

*Price Waterhouse Coopers PWc survey of the top 1,500 global companies

CDOs are essentially charged with the task of changing the way organisations operate. The biggest challenge is pulling together the diverse resources and functional expertise from across the different units and markets that are critical to implement the digital strategy. Culture is also a central aspect which can either hinder or drive digital innovation. Design thinking can provide a structure to support digital integration and to embed digital thinking across the organisation within a disruptive environment.

“At any given moment we can be in a mindset of either fear or discovery”

–John Sweeney

DIGITAL AGE

The digital age touches all companies who want to remain competitive and create ongoing value.  The complexity and volatility inherent in the new business landscape means that competitive edge cannot be taken for granted.  It takes more than just flipping a switch. Digital is not simply hiring a digital scientist and investing in technology.

Organisations need to consider the impact of new technology across the entire business so they can react on their feet to quickly seize new opportunities. To be successful other factors also need adjusting: business strategy, focus on user perspective and a change in mindset. Fluid business models, a culture of innovation and leveraging resources both people and technology is the only way forward.

EVERYONE IS CREATIVE

Recent creativity research challenges the theory that creativity is a gift for only a chosen few by introducing the idea that everyone has the capacity to be creative. Moreover, other studies support this development and argue that people differ in their creative path and how they process information. Understanding individual behavioural preferences will enable leaders to motivate their teams to achieve their highest potential and help them enhance their creativity in today’s digital age.

SUCCESS IS DOWN TO MINDSET

A Nielsen/Harris Poll of business executives confirmed that most believe the key element to success in business is down to mindset. Other critical factors include people skills then team building; with industry experience ranked as the fourth element contributing to success. Mindset is regarded by executives as set in stone and part of someone’s DNA. While 85% of executives had no doubt that technical know-how can be acquired, fewer than 46% believed that it is possible to change mindset.

A mindset is simply the process by which we approach a problem or situation.  Our minds are constantly looking to make connections. The mindset is like a radar and is directed to look for certain things and disregard others. What your mind focusses on is determined by your mindset, which in turn affects your attitudes and then leads to your behaviour. We all have the capacity to access a variety of mindsets at any given time. It is just like choosing the appropriate outfit to wear for an occasion.

“There Is No Expedient to which a Man Will Not Resort to Avoid the Real Labour of Thinking.” –Sir Joshua Reynolds

FAST FORWARD

Practising a variety of mindsets in different scenarios prepares the mind to adapt quickly when the unexpected inevitably happens. This enables you to have the flexibility to choose the best combination of mindsets to help you to perform at your optimal level in any given situation without having to think about it.

Organisations need to think forward and imagine the different ways and scenarios digital technology can impact your business. What is truly at play? What is the lay of the land? Create a virtual reality of various experiences so you can simultaneously have a view from the control tower and right up close, on the front line or in the driver’s seat, while in the thick of action to re-imagine or re-construct the experience and achieve tangible results.

DESIGN APPROACH

My research to measure creativity in work projects led me to discover the design thinking approach that enables you to slow down your thinking process so you can untangle the various components, grasp the underlying connections, improvise and stay relevant in volatile environments.

The critical thinking process of design thinking enables you to come face-to-face with your biases and judgements (attitudes) and encourages you to challenge and question established norms and customs. When assessing anything most of us instinctively look for indicators to confirm our opinions, no matter how much we try to be objective. Letting go of old preconceived beliefs is essential for sustainable change to occur.

EXPERIMENT IN THE FIELD

Since managing the external ecosystem is more prevalent than ever today, the emphasis on companies has shifted from increasing capacity (e.g. producing) to expanding connections and broadening the business ecosystem. Putting in place a parallel business unit with flexible hierarchical structures to rapidly mobilise, build and test new ideas so that the right products get out to market in record time needs very careful investigation and consideration.

Digital Moments are a proven method to create a collaborative purposeful community by constructing digital stories. Digital Moments can be used as a tool to build scenarios by sharing human stories in a very real and personal way. It is a way of staying connected in a virtual 24/7 world where, paradoxically, it is easy to experience a sense of disconnect from the rest of the team or community. Internal and external teams or communities can engage, share, acquire knowledge, solve problems and innovate because today’s problems require input from multiple sources.

CONCLUSION

Business strategy traditionally guided all decisions and behaviours to provide a sense of security and ensure the right course was maintained. In the current business climate newcomers, can destabilise and even surpass established market leaders or create a new market altogether (e.g. UBER and AirBnB).

A design approach replaces the false sense of certainty that a business strategy was meant to provide, with a structured approach to navigate across unchartered landscapes by developing instinctive abilities and broadening network connections. In this way companies, can support their leaders and teams to deepen their knowledge base and acquire the essential skills to thrive in the Digital Age.

Written by Florence Mackay, MSc Business Psychologist – AWP ActWithPurpose