What is a Digital Mindset and why is it so important for every business to foster it.

Managers are often faced with the hard decision of which initiatives to prioritise and where to focus their efforts that would have the biggest impact. Which technologies to use, how to make your teams collaborate better and break down silos, how to get your organisation to be more open to new ideas and experiment more, and less resistant to change, how to ensure everyone is aligned on the overall strategy, what are the best performance measurements to use, which efforts are needed to increase customer satisfaction etc. 

A Digital thinking mindset is vital for an organisation to address all these challenges listed above. In this article, we will be talking about the benefits of a digital thinking mindset. However, in order to know what your organisation’s challenges are and thus which to prioritise you would need to carry out a Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) as this would help you and your organisation define what your key challenges and opportunities are.  

You can read about what a DMA is here. 

Recognising the Lack of Digital Mindset 

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, a digital mindset is not just a luxury but a necessity for an organisation's survival and growth. You might fear that your organisation lacks a digital mindset, by seeing resistance to innovation or change, a lack of customer focus, or internal silos, or have conducted a Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) that revealed this. If this is the case, action must be taken to rectify this gap. Not establishing a digital mindset within your organisation will hinder your progress to becoming a digital mature organisation.

What is a Digital Mindset 

To become a digitally mature organisation, a business and its people need to embody the following principles that make up a digital mindset: 

1. Think Digitally 

A digital mindset extends beyond technology; it's about thinking creatively, embracing innovation, and always seeking to leverage digital means to enhance value. 

2. Collaborate More 

Breaking down silos and encouraging cross-functional collaboration facilitates the sharing of ideas and the development of holistic digital strategies. 

3. Explore Ideas 

Creating a culture that encourages experimentation and the exploration of new ideas can lead to ground-breaking innovations. 

4. Be Consumer and User-Centric 

Prioritising the consumer's needs and expectations ensures that digital transformation aligns with market demands. 

5. Focus Externally 

Looking beyond the organisation's boundaries allows for the identification of new opportunities, partnerships, and market trends. 

6. Embrace Change 

Understanding that things may need to change, and being willing to make those changes, is essential for digital growth. 

How to Gain a Digital Thinking Mindset 

One approach is Lego Serious Play™, a facilitated meeting, communication, and problem-solving process where participants are led through a series of questions and build 3D Lego models to respond. This method encourages: 

• Creative Thinking: By physically building ideas, people can visualise complex concepts, thus unlocking creativity. 

• Collaborative Dialogue: It facilitates open and honest conversation, allowing all voices to be heard. 

• Alignment with Organisational Goals: Through guided play, teams can align with shared objectives and strategies. 

Fiora recognises the importance of a digital mindset and have used the Lego Serious Play™ approach and several other methodologies to foster this culture for many of our clients. 

Conclusion

A lack of digital mindset is not a dead-end but a call to action. It demands a comprehensive approach that aligns the organisation's people, processes, and culture with digital thinking. By focusing on collaboration, exploration, consumer-centricity, external opportunities, and a willingness to change, a business can position itself for digital maturity. 

Fiora's unique methodologies, such as using Lego Serious Play™, offer practical tools to develop a digital mindset across all levels of the organisation. The journey towards digital maturity is continuous, demanding commitment and innovative thinking, and you and your employees need to be equipped with the right skills and tools. This will allow resilience, agility, and growth helping you produce better business outcomes.