6 Characteristics of a Digital Mindset

It’s not robots that are going to take away the jobs – it’s other humans with a digital mindset.

That’s the argument made by author Tsedal Neeley in a recent interview with McKinsey about her new book The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI (cowritten with Paul Leonardi).

So, what exactly is a digital mindset?

The concept of a digital mindset has been around for a while. As companies have implemented new digital tools and data to streamline and augment workflows, many have realized that it's not just the technology that makes the biggest difference between the success or failure, it’s the people using it.

“As a technology leader, I think it’s important to be humble and work with the people that are going to use the technology,” said Remi Raphael, VP of Digital Transformation at EDF Renewables North America said in a recent interview with IX Network. “Failing to do this is the heart of many mistakes.” 

Global consultancy KPMG offers a digital mindset assessment tool and makes the case for the skills that will be needed for people and machines to work together better.  

“For both individuals and organizations, there needs to be a reconciling of the demand for digital skills to deploy and manage technology, and the human skills to live and work with this technology. Positioning the enterprise for success as the work of humans and machines converges, will require a digital mindset,” the company writes on its website.

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In the interview with McKinsey, Neeley elaborates on this concept and argues that it is in the interest of users and companies to develop and embed this digital mindset. She says that it will be the skills differentiator of the future as machines automate more work and data becomes heavily incorporated into tasks.

“A digital mindset is a set of attitudes and behaviors that enable people and organizations to see how data, algorithms, and AI open up new possibilities and to chart a path for success in a business landscape increasingly dominated by data-intensive and intelligent technologies,” Neeley writes in an article on HBR, “Developing a Digital Mindset.”

As manufacturers contend with an ever-growing list of technologies required for Industry 4.0, IX Network wades into the discussion with the 6 characteristics we believe typify a digital mindset:

#1: Technology and Data Literate

A basic understanding of how computers operate and familiarity with common digital tools (e.g., smart phones, Microsoft tools, social media platforms) is at the foundation of a digital mindset. Workers don’t need to be experts in digital platforms, but a basic understanding establishes a baseline to help workers learn new tools and come up with ideas to get more out of existing platforms.

#2: Curious

Workers who are interested in trying new things will be more willing to innovate and experiment. This is at the heart of identifying how machines and technology can create new ways of operating or even disrupt whole business models.

#3: Problem Solvers

Companies with a culture of problem solving seek to understand the root causes of problems, avoid finger pointing and assignation of blame, and look for solutions that address the challenges the business is having. In looking to solve problems, workers with a digital mindset may seek all types of solutions, which may include process and technology changes.  

#4: Belief in Continuous Improvement

Workers who want and believe that work can be improved have a continuous improvement attitude. They believe that you can always enhance what you are doing by adapting and changing. A related attribute is the belief in continuous learning – that you always can and should be upgrading your knowledge.

#5: Open to New Possibilities

Sometimes we become so locked into our existing habits and routines that we shut down alternatives. Workers with a digital mindset stay open to new possibilities and how change – digital or otherwise – can improve the way work gets done.  

#6: Externally oriented

Workers with a digital mindset are oriented to what’s happening outside the four walls of their individual office building. It means being attuned to the needs of their colleagues and of their customers. It also means being in touch and following what’s happening in the world outside of the business and the industry. Some of the best ideas come from understanding the needs of customers and looking at what has worked in other industries and business.

What do you think? What characteristics matter most to a digital mindset?

Are you interested in learning more? IX Network is hosting over 200 industry leaders on November 15-17, 2022 in Chicago to learn how to build a connected workforce to improve resilience, agility and growth in a recovering economy. Join us at The Connected Worker summit. Find out more about the event here.