Building digital dexterity in your organization 

Businesses of all sizes were unprepared to plan for digital transformation to eliminate outdated systems and processes during the pandemic. Many others, more prepared, got a boost due to it. 

Companies with reluctant managers, board members, or staff had no option but to use communication tools like Zoom, Slack, and Teams to conduct their business, as there was no other option. 

Now that life is back to normal, businesses must learn to harness and use their workforce’s digital dexterity. We will discuss the implications and how businesses can achieve maintainable and ongoing digital dexterity in your organization.

What Is Digital Dexterity?

Digital dexterity is the ability to acclimatize to new technology. This applies especially to tech meant to help people work more efficiently and get better results. When an organization has digital dexterity, it is responsive, proficient, and open to new tools. 

Employees will have a learning curve while they adjust to a new product or process. Digitally dexterous people move through their initial discomfort and aim to master new skills.

Digital dexterity demands that users have a certain amount of skill, if not a firm grasp of business technology. This means that it needs to be deeply entrenched in an organization’s culture and mindset. When people feel encouraged and authorized to learn new things, they are more likely to cultivate digital dexterity than those who are resistant to change.

The qualities associated with digital dexterity.

To encourage digital dexterity in your organization, you will need to understand which qualities are most closely linked with those abilities and find ways to nurture them in your business.

Here are some of the most important:

Progressive thinking

Success today is all about keeping an eye on current trends while concurrently predicting what’s coming next. In terms of tech skills, that means taking all chances to become an early adopter and helping your workforce come up with a solution before your competitors do.

Flexible mindset

Managers and team leaders often get trapped in the standard approach of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” That makes sense since we are creatures of habit who like to stay where we are the most comfortable. However, this should be within reason and not to the point of rigidity. 

When there is a rigid and blind following of standard products and processes, innovation is stifled. Businesses need to encourage agility and exploration, especially if success can help the company do better.

Willingness to change.

Negativity is catching, especially when it flows from top to bottom. Employees are reluctant to change and resist it because it is the overall attitude of their workplace. This is why finding and empowering champions for change who can help spark momentum is crucial.

Ready for digital changes

Readiness is not just about issuing a policy or a meeting. To implement a company’s digital dexterity, managers must ensure their employees have insight into initiatives long before roll-out. There should be a place to access information, like a knowledge management platform, so they can quickly overcome the learning curve.

Data-driven decisions

Instead of trusting solely on opinions or assumptions, digitally dexterous leaders consult the numbers first and use those insights to ensure they make the best choices possible. After all, access to data is one of the ultimate benefits of digital transformation. And the more you collect, organize, and use the available data, the better off you’ll be.

Promoting an engaged workforce

If you have an organization where senior leaders take all decisions behind closed doors and employees are just handed directives, you’ll probably never achieve an advanced level of digital dexterity. 

It is better to aim for transparency and a culture where employees are motivated to test, innovate, and share their feedback. By giving your employees the freedom and support they deserve, you’ll create the groundwork for sustainable digital dexterity.

The benefits of digital dexterity

Ensuring digital dexterity requires time, money, and other finite resources, which is a significant reason some Pakistani businesses are lagging. But while it can be costly, it can generate exceptional ROI.

Some benefits businesses can expect are better productivity, efficiency, and agility. Businesses also experience a better risk appetite that comes with higher levels of digital adoption.

Achieving digital dexterity in your workplace

Some steps for boosting your organization’s digital dexterity are given below:

Focus on digital dexterity 

Set your business for success by prioritizing digital dexterity and looping it into every initiative. 

Know your employees’ mindsets

Assess employees’ sentiments to know how employees feel about existing technology. This should cover how it was implemented and whether employees feel supported or encouraged to do better. The better understanding you have of where your workforce is coming from, the better you will be at improving their abilities.

Encourage continuous learning and training

Empower your employees to keep learning and improving their digital skills.  Promote innovation by giving employees the time and space to teach themselves and help support each other.

Make sure your leaders are on board

Your leadership team is responsible for setting the pace for the entire business. If senior leaders and department heads don’t accept the need for digital dexterity, getting any initiative off the ground will be nearly impossible. 

As we move into a progressively digital-dependent world, agility toward new tech will be a non-negotiable factor. In addition to assessing job applicants for digital skills, be sure to focus on boosting current employees’ skills and comfort levels. By making digital dexterity a central part of your work culture, you will be well-prepared for whatever new trends the future may hold.