Digital transformation is everywhere. According to Statista, global spending on digital transformation will reach $1.8 trillion in 2022 and $2.8 trillion by 2025. With so many organizations adopting new digital technology, leaders and employees need to adopt a “digital mindset” to keep from falling behind. 

In the Harvard Business Review article “Developing a Digital Mindset” Future-of-Work Keynote Speakers Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi explain what businesses can do to ready themselves. Organizations are being impacted by new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, data collection, machine learning, and robotics. With so much new technology, employees and leaders need to adopt a digital mindset if they want to stay competitive.

What Is a Digital Mindset?

According to Neeley and Leonardi, a digital mindset is a collection of attitudes and behaviors that enable people in organizations to embrace new technologies and chart a path for success. With such a radical change to adapt to new systems, the mindset involves buy-in by employees and aligning systems by leadership.

Why Create a Digital Mindset?

Research has shown benefits for employees and leaders who embrace a digital mindset. Employees who adopt a digital mindset become more successful in their jobs, have higher satisfaction at work, are more likely to get promoted, and can develop more marketable skills. Likewise, leaders with a digital mindset are better able to prepare their organizations for success and build a more resilient workforce.

How to Develop a Digital Mindset?

The key to developing a digital mindset, according to Neeley and Leonardi, is creating a “continuous-learning environment.” Employees and leaders must be motivated to develop competence because they fully buy into the organization’s transformation strategy. 

For example, the French IT services company Atos underwent a digital transformation in 2008. Rather than ordering its employees to undergo new training, all the learning was voluntary. The company launched an internal marketing campaign, encouraging people to learn and offering rewards for achieving benchmarks in certification. The company felt if people were certified voluntarily, they would be more likely to internalize the new digital skills. The system worked. Within three years, more than 70,000 people completed their digital certification.

With so much digital transformation, organizations can be left behind if they don’t adopt a digital mindset. If you’re interested in learning more about the Future of Work or instilling a digital mindset in your organization, pre-order Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi’s new book, “The Digital Mindset: What It Really Takes to Thrive in the Age of Data, Algorithms, and AI” and contact BigSpeak Speakers bureau to book Tsedal Neeley, Paul Leonardi, or another Future-of-Work keynote speaker.

For more on Digital Mindset Read:

Can Your Company Overcome Technological Changes in the Workplace?

6 Ideas That Are Changing the Future of Work

5 Leadership Tips on How to Communicate Better