Digital (R)evolution

Chapter 9Digital Proficiency and Innovation

Executive Summary: Even though advanced technology has become a commodity, organizations still need to develop the mindset required for using technology wisely and effectively. I call this mindset “digital proficiency,” and from my perspective it's more essential to success than technical proficiency.

The Apollo 11 spacecraft that took men to the Moon in 1969 relied on a guidance computer that could handle eight jobs at a time. Today, an iPhone can theoretically process 6 billion transactions per second.

We've come a long way since the days of the Apollo program. Thanks to the spirit of human invention and Moore's Law, amazing technologies have become commoditized and commonplace. In our modern techno-savvy culture, virtually every organization can craft a practical business solution with technologies that are readily available at a reasonable cost.

In other words, technical proficiency has become a given. What is not a given, however, is digital proficiency. For most organizations, the widespread lack of digital proficiency remains a barrier to transformation.

Why is this so? The answer is maddeningly simple: to achieve their goals and objectives, organizations typically rely on the skills and knowledge of their employees. That makes sense, doesn't it? After all, that's the reason you hire people, so you can leverage their skills and knowledge.

But here's the rub: the typical employee relies on skills and knowledge that he or she ...