Why Digital Is a State of Mind, Not Just a Skill Set

The rise of remote work is raising new questions, such as ensuring colleagues feel the presence of work-at-home employees when they're not in the same room.

Workers must develop a digital presence.

• They need to understand the use of asynchronous communication.
• When you mainly engage through digital tools, it's vital to introduce structured and unstructured time, so people engage in the non-work elements of their world, making people feel more connected.
• Remote workers should be aware of the "Mutual Knowledge Problem", which is a lack of shared understanding of place, context, and emotion.

Data is, in many ways, the DNA of organisational decision-making. But data does not always provide truth. It needs to be analysed and challenged. When someone lacks a digital mindset, they can accept data as gospel.

Data is biased since biased humans gather and interpret data and build models that don't take potential risks from incomplete or misunderstood data into account.

Remedies include:

• Embedding ethical or bias reviews into data.
• Understanding how to present data. Too much or too little data cause people to draw the wrong conclusions.