Digital State of Mind

As a parent of a teenager, I have lived in digital frustration for a few years now. I found myself constantly anxious from watching my daughter being consumed by virtual communications around the clock. My husband and I tried all sorts of methods to correct this extreme “phenomenon”; unfortunately, nothing worked. While this was hardly a unique behaviour for her generation, it was daunting for me to be supportive of such an unhealthy and unproductive life-style. My mind couldn't stop drawing parallels to “when I was growing up…”

So I have to admit that I am a late-boomer on the digital front. I prefer the pleasure of flipping pages and inhaling the aroma of a real book. I didn't have the urge to own smart devices and become connected to the Internet of things. I didn't open any social media accounts, except for LinkedIn, until I decided to use them as tools to spy on my daughter. The information I gathered from my spying was surprisingly useful. Putting data and context together, I felt like I had a better handle of my daughter’s mind and her circle of influences. Also, to my great relief, the digital chatter was for the most part harmless. What seemed like a big waste of time to me, is to her the most productive way of connecting with her friends and getting things done. I've come to realize that being constantly wired is a necessity for her generation - a “must have” life-style. Good, bad, or ugly, it’s a trend we can’t reverse.

Once my mind was conditioned to this reality, I became more motivated to be part of her world. Her attitude toward us is now less defensive and more open. A stronger bond is forming between us.

My daughter and her friends represent our next generation of customers. Alan Trefler, founder & CEO of Pegasystems, a Boston based BPM and CRM software company, penned his insightful perspectives about preparing organizations for the new generation of customers in his book “Build for Change”. Alan brands my daughter’s generation as “Gen D” with D standing for discover, devour and demonize. Gen D doesn't like to be told what they want. They know what they want and take the initiative to engage and influence brands digitally. They make their decisions based on their direct (and often one-time) experience. They worship peer reviews. They either love you or hate you. They are not shy to share how they feel via all digital means available to them. They can be your biggest advocate or your worst PR disaster.

What can we do better to prepare ourselves for our Gen D customers of tomorrow – those who possess plenty of attitude and superior digital aptitude? Alan has practical advice around how organizations can create a “build for change platform” that is customer-centric. He explains why and how people, process and technology must all work together in a new way to avoid the ultimate “customerpocalypse”. Fundamental to Alan’s vision of digitization is the ability to change the culture of our business to be future-ready.

Alan’s philosophy is echoed by many industry experts. In “A Digital Strategy is a Data Strategy”, Neil Ward-Dutton, a high-profile IT industry analyst in Europe also wrote about the importance of culture shift as a key factor for a successful digital enterprise. R “Ray” Wang, principle analyst and founder of Constellation Research summarized seven rules for digital business and digital transformation, concluding that a digital transformation is first and foremost about a shift of minds and behaviors.

The biggest barrier to change is our own resistance. In the last couple of years, I've attended many marketing and technology conferences that have focused on the digital revolution. There is an ever-expanding and all-consuming digitized mindshare in the B2B space – a sea change happening right in front of our eyes. Yet fear, uncertainty and doubt percolate as we become more aware of the imminent changes that lie ahead. We know we must change the way we think and act. We know that adapting and innovating is the key to survive and thrive. But some of us are still procrastinating. Changing habits is hard. Taking ourselves out of our comfort zones is uncomfortable.

I was one of those cautious beings that didn't jump on the digital bandwagon right away. Today, I am on a fast-moving train enjoying an exhilarating ride and in awe of the new things that I discover every day. My change of mindset was the result of my parental and survival instincts kicking in. Progress required discipline.

I allow my mind to be a sponge. I spend an hour most days reading articles online. I often choose a subject area that I don’t know enough about. I try to tune into as many industry forums as possible so that I can learn from the experts. “Knowledge is power” – acknowledging what I don’t know gets me further every day.

I experiment with what I learn. In my capacity, I work with teams of marketing professionals in the technology industry. Many of them are my peers who were “forced” to brush up on their digital skills. Some are “new age” marketers who are passionate about search, content and omni-channel marketing. I love to brainstorm ideas with my clients and partners and help them to develop fresh and new marketing concepts that “pull” people in.

I encourage my team to be creative and autonomous. Even though digital strategy may require ownership, digital transformation is everyone’s responsibility. I’m not convinced that the introduction of the Chief Digital Officer is a good idea. I think that the role widens the divide between IT and marketing instead of fostering a more collaborative culture.

Times have changed. In the past, “built to last” was the gold standard in the world of design and engineering. Today, organizations must re-build their very foundations to anticipate constant change - change in expectations of their workforce, customers, shareholders and industry; change caused by digital disruptions; change driven by the very progression of our collective minds.

When I spoke with Alan Trefler at PegaWorld last month, I learned that before founding Pega, Alan was a world chess champion at the age of 19. Since the prize money from winning could barely cover his hotel bill during the tournament, he decided to use his key skills in chess to solve chaos in the business world. I call that a smart move. Pega has been succeeding for 31 years by helping many loyal and happy customers build for change. When it comes to predicting the digital future, I am placing my trust in a chess master.

Are you in a digital state of mind? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

You are also welcome to connect with me on Twitter @CsuiteDialogue or find me on www.theITmediagroup.com.

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