Guide to Digital Literacy for 50+

Let's face it, we're aging, some of us will be baby-boomers whose industry requires us to be up to date on digital trends. "Digital literacy" really isn't openly talked about much, however there are all these consultants who will ask for serious $$$ to get information that is just common sense for young digital information consumers. I'm not sure this is right and it doesn't have to be this way, you can do a few things on a weekly basis that will change your secret discomfort with digital media. 

However, the older we are it may be that we are less likely to keep in touch with trends, that, can be detrimental to our leadership and even our confidence. So what can we do to keep pace? Let's say you're a CEO and didn't exactly grow up with the internet, this article is for you. Do please give comments on anything else you can think of that contributes to this.

Keep Learning

• Spend more time online, if you want to improve your digital literacy, adopt the trends of the average consumer, who are likely your clients, your customers, and your employees. The generation gap is simply a matter of different behaviours.

• Learn from your employees, invite members of your team for meetings to catch up with their role in the company, and at the same time take the time to learn from them. Talk to them and actively learn from younger members of your firm who may be more in touch with the ever changing norms, channels, tools and software of the online world.

• Respect and learn from Millennials, GenXers and beyond, in the information age, it's actually the young people that have more to teach the older generation so change your mindset and become a social learner.

• Take online courses and more structured classes, if you don't have the motivation to be a self-learner. Going to a University (college) course once a week, may be more productive than those 5-10 hours you spend extra at the office.

Be Open to New Media

• Participate in online communities socially, if you are socially engaged it's more likely to be productive, self-sustaining and a learning experience.
• Adopt social media, don't see it as a tool for wasting time, it's anything but that for millions of people.
• Use your mobile phone more, text more often, surprise your children and grandchildren with your mobile usage habits.

• Download new apps on a regular basis and get to know them
• Buy a Tablet and continue to see what's out there
• Watch videos and understand how video content is changing the mobile world
• Watched Ted Talks (one of the best educational resources to keep in touch)

• Read the top blogs in your field on a regular basis, skim what interests you, but keep studying.

• Be a pioneer in your age group by creating podcasts and video content, you would be surprised how easy it is to set-up and your peers and employees will respect you for it. There is a huge opportunity here for CEOs to gain social capital and network better if they seem knowledgeable and approachable with these audience-friendly mediums. 

• Become a content creator, share your wisdom, business savvy and knowledge with the rest of the digital community. The most progressive of you, already do this! Give back to community and your customers where they will hear you. Write articles on LinkedIn pulse, share it on your Twitter, etc..

Time Management

• Keep an open mind and an insatiable and youthful curiosity, put away some time on the weekend to learn. Don't judge before you try it. 
• Adopt new social channels as they start to trend: you never know when your knowledge of snapchat, periscope or Reddit will come in handy.
• If you don't have one yet, create a twitter, pinterest LinkedIn account, these are two of the most "educational" social channels. Use hashtags to "listen" to trends in your industry.
• Learn about applications and software tools that can streamline your time and actually make you more efficient. Don't simply fall into the rut of familiarity, use the same CRM, same apps, same tools as always, but keep up to date on which are the best currently.

Feedback

What else would you recommend for senior managers who may not be so digitally inclined?

Are you over 50+, what did you do to truly enjoy being online?