1. Know what you’re getting in to
Having a digital mindset doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be on all the various social media platforms or that you have to digitise every aspect of your business. It also doesn’t imply that you have to get rid of good old-fashioned pen and paper. Having a digital mindset can merely be utilising and leveraging technology to make your life easier and more convenient.
2. Step out of your comfort zone
Think about revolutionised concepts such as online banking, online shopping and online education. Or are you set in your ways and sticking to writing cheques, stashing cash under the mattress and driving from retailer to retailer to find one that stocks a specific product?
If you want to make life easier for yourself and your business, start by digitising only one aspect. Then one more and so forth. It can be your administrative section or your security or clocking system that you move online.
3. Think digital
Adopting a digital mindset means constantly remembering that you can use technology to solve problems, learn new skills and gather useful data. For example, if you are battling with a project, program or product, chances are that there will be at least a dozen videos on YouTube on how to do it. Struggling to make a purchase decision? Do your entire product research online and in advance.
Solving problems with a digital mindset can be something small like rocking up at the ATM without your wallet and instead of driving home to fetch it, using FNB’s eWallet service to send money to your cell phone and doing a cardless withdrawal.
4. Don’t be afraid to change
Changing your thought process and trying new things can be difficult and filled with uncertainty, but resisting change for too long can set you so far back that the thought of catching up on every outdated aspect of your life or business will be beyond the bounds of possibility.
The point is, don’t be afraid to go through a trial and error period to discover what works for you and what doesn’t. Research has shown that change helps you grow; it teaches you to be flexible; it reveals your strengths; it breaks routines and it presents new opportunities.
5. Seek value
Don’t waste time - if you’re not getting the desired value from a specific system, solution or platform you’ve been using, move on. The digital age saw the birth of the disloyal consumer where decisions are quick and nobody dwells long on being unhappy because the competition is so fierce, you’ll never be left stranded.