Week 28, 2019
The Digital Mindset: Ecosystems, Iterations, and Teamwork
Each week I share three ideas for how to make work better. And this week, I look at the Digital Mindset — what it is and why it’s important.
Why am I writing about this? Simple. I’ll be speaking on the topic in a few weeks. This issue is part exploration, part preparation.
Let’s dig in:
1. Thinks in Systems
Because digital interconnects everyone and everything, it can be incredibly powerful. Local is the new global, billion-dollar businesses are created overnight, and there are social influencers with reach rivaling that of major news outlets. The Digital Mindset understands this potential. It thinks in systems. And it appreciates the power of networks, platforms, and ecosystems. It understands how technology can level the playing field. And as a consequence, it often defies established rules and convetions.
For more on this, check out McKinsey’s Platform Play: How to Operate like a Tech Company.
2. Works by Iteration
When everything is interconnected, predictability is (predictably) out the window. We live in a complex adaptive system (many complex adaptive systems, actually) which means that seemingly small actions can have large and unforeseen consequences. The Digital Mindset remains unfazed by complexity. Instead of grand plans, it understands that the only viable route forward is careful iteration. It builds, measures, and learns. And it uses real-time data to inform its decisions.
For more on this, check out Felipe Castro’s OKR and Agile: Stop Using Waterfall Goals
3. Collaborates in Teams
Complexity means that the age of the renaissance man has come and gone. We’re unlikely to see another lone genius the likes of da Vinci, Franklin, and Einstein. We’ve gone beyond what the individual can accomplish alone. And today, we increasingly look to teams to push us forward. The Digital Mindset appreciates this development. And while it seeks a variety of experience for itself, it actively seeks input from others as well. It’s humble, emphasizes sensing and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
For more on this, see Adobe’s Why Collaboration is the Future of Work and What it Means for Designers Going Forward.
The Digital Mindset is a category term for a set of beliefs and behaviors that are (1) influenced either directly or indirectly by digital technologies and (2) thought to be advantageous in this new world of work.
My interpretation is this: the digital world is interconnected, messy, and complex. If we want to successfully navigate this environment, we must think in terms of systems, iterate continuously, and collaborate with others.
That’s what the Digital Mindset is. And that’s why it’s important.
That’s all for this week.
Until next time, stay calm.
