{"id":3827,"date":"2019-09-18T10:42:04","date_gmt":"2019-09-18T08:42:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/junq.info\/?p=3827"},"modified":"2019-09-19T11:27:43","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T09:27:43","slug":"the-prospects-and-limitations-of-digitalization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/junq.info\/?p=3827","title":{"rendered":"The prospects and limitations of digitalization"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alex Steffen[1] makes enterprises future-proof. He is an expert for business strategy and innovation. He is also a no.1 Best-Selling Author and Speaker. His mission by 2025 is to empower 150,000 business leaders to future-proof their enterprise with ease. How? Alex turns business leaders into entrepreneurs. Alex Steffen was named Management Thought Leader 2019 by Change X and his book \u201cDie Orbit Organisation\u201d was nominated for the getAbstract International Book Award. His Keynotes \u201cThe Atlas of Innovation\u201d and \u201cUnstoppable Human\u201d are international hits. Learn about Alex at https:\/\/alextsteffen.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[1] info@alextsteffen.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alex Steffen <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: What is digital citizenship? Should there be a\nbasic education in responsible handling of digital tools in (early) schools?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: Let\u2019s pick a narrow definition. I\nunderstand digital citizenship as a human\u2019s ability to be a more rounded part\nof society thanks to information technology. The truth is: technology often\nsimply emphasizes the existing design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital schooling isn\u2019t better schooling, as long as schools\nfail to teach us the central skills required in the modern world: thinking for\nourselves. In my opinion, that\u2019s what the society and workplace of the future\nneeds. We\u2019re trying to stitch digital onto an outdated paradigm, which tells us\nthat memorizing facts is fundamental to a successful career. And then we\u2019re\nsurprised to find that machines take away jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth: a rounded human, well-equipped to play his or her\npart in society combines a unique blend of complex skills. Uniqueness is an\nadvantage, not a disadvantage. I see micro degrees, potent mentoring, and real\nexposure to the world as essential ingredients of education towards digital\ncitizenship. We don\u2019t need any more homogenous machine workers. The new\nstandard for humans and businesses is hyper-customization. A smart country isn\u2019t\na country that has advanced to digital citizen services only. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A smart country is a society where its citizens can create a\ncareer and life on their own terms using highly customizable (education)\nresources. That will make them uniquely trained and attractive according to\ntheir strengths and inclinations. Look around, the top talents are already\nliving this very design. Now it\u2019s our responsibility to take it from niche to\ncommonplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: What are the general problems and dangers that\narise with (global) digitalization and what are possible solutions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: This begs the exploration of the new\nrelationship between digital processes and human habits. Let\u2019s first crush a\nmyth: our problem isn\u2019t the technology disrupting our lives. Humans will create\nwhat\u2019s possible. They always have. The problem lies in our own comfort to\nreconsider what we see as \u201cnormal\u201d, \u201ccustomary\u201d and \u201cacceptable\u201d. Our problem\nis: we think that most of what we look at is permanent when in fact, the world\nis in constant change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We underestimate our need for validation and our inability\nto accept outside perspectives. Those are the real causes of resistance. I am\nconvinced that if we could measure the real damage of business as usual, it\nwould vastly outweigh the so-called threats of digitization. I would like to\nsee an approach where anything new is met with a cool-headed evaluation.\nReactive resistance contra change based on individual discomfort stands in the\nway of realizing beneficial trends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These trends often end up as part of our lives anyway, built\nby others, who were open-minded in the first place. And, equally important, a\nlack of engagement with trends prevents us from making them safe and aligned\nwith our values. I suggest training leaders on emotional intelligence and on\nstaying curious. As soft as this sounds to our logical minds, it\u2019s the vastly\nunderestimated skill that nourishes our ability to be competitive. Innovation\nstarts with the very subject in question: rethinking (innovating) the way we\ntrain our leaders, so that change can be embraced .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: Data processing, communication, and research\nhave become impossible without digital tools, especially in the field of\ntechnology and science. A regression has become unthinkable. Are there\nlimitations to further digital progress? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: Every society comfortable enough to\nexplore this philosophical question faces a dilemma between two seemingly\nexclusive ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idea 1: we\u2019ve arrived at the pinnacle of innovation. Further\ninnovation seems unthinkable or unethical. Further innovation causes more harm\nthan good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idea 2: awe-inspiring science fiction scenarios that look\ncompletely absurd but encapsulate even more human optimization potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two ideas are not exclusive. Rather, they lie on\nopposite poles of a scale. I\u2019m always curious where a person or society sits on\nthat scale. In other words, how much of each idea do they express. My take is\nthat we often ignore the bigger picture. History can provide data for a more\nrealistic standpoint, namely that humans will continue innovating indefinitely.\nIt\u2019s like that because with new capabilities come ever new desires. These\ntrigger our ingenuity anew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This begs the question: will we be able to find a healthy\nbalance between a paralyzing public debate about the implications of change on\nthe one hand and co-creating the inevitable changes, so that they end up in\nfavor of future generations? Let\u2019s look at an example: In Sweden the question\nof female equality at work has largely been resolved for a few years. \u201cWe focus\non doing rather than talking\u201d an executive at Volvo shared with me. In Germany,\nafter years of debate this is still a hot topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: How will the future digital workplace look\nlike?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: I love this question and yet I\u2019ll\nkeep my answer deliberately vague. Nobody can predict the future with 100%\naccuracy. I sincerely hope that for most people the future workplace will be\ndriven by vitality, intuition, and self-actualization. This will mean better\nhealth and quality of life for the individual as well as higher competitiveness\nfor business. [1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: In Germany, digitalization appears to proceed\nmore slowly than in other industrial countries. What are possible troubles and\nhow can we overcome this gap?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: All innovation starts in the mind.\nHistory is full of examples where German ingenuity put us in the pole position,\nonly to be halted by doubt and cumbersome processes. We wake up and find\nourselves late in the game. No question, their intention is good. But after\nsome time of business as usual, further resistance to creative destruction\ncreates more harm than good. In 2019 German car giant Volkswagen came out with\nits car for the future. Unfortunately the car is not an exponential innovation\nat all. It\u2019s traditional car with an electric engine. Major improvements still\nrequire a garage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tesla Motors on the other hand, has shown us what a\ndisruption of the automotive industry really looks like. Tesla has built a\ndigital platform on which major improvements are performed over the internet\nvia digital upgrades. The result: the need for a garage drops drastically. So\ndoes the dependency on a complex web of stakeholders, turning Tesla Motors into\nthe more flexible player. This example shows that Germany\u2019s industry still\nloves its traditions. They are safe. Planning and due diligence is our fetish.\nBut safe does not make our designs future-proof. The key competitive edge for\nthe future is flexibility. Sooner or later we need to start killing our legacy\ndarlings and commit to real change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: How important do you see 5G in general?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: Humans have great difficulty\nperceiving change that is happening right now. Change is always seen from the\nunderstanding of the past. For example, the first movies were recorded in the\nstyle of plays. Only after some time directors developed the unique movie style\nwe know today. I see 5G as an essential building block of the future, both for\nbusiness and private. The debate about the why is holding up the potential to\nwork on the how. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: What could be the next big step in\ndigitalization after smart devices, AI and augmented reality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: I heard a fascinating statement the\nother day: In the last two years we have undergone more change than the\nprevious ten. The discomfort of uncertainty makes us ask questions like this.\nJust like a cigarette drag they are just dangerous fixes that ignore the root\nproblem: anxiety. We cannot trust any so-called futurists because nobody\nactually knows the future. Many experts\u2019 predictions have been dramatic errors\ncosting businesses large sums of money. Other predictions have never reached\nthe mainstream, leaving everyone unprepared. Instead I suggest us all to take\non a calm and confident attitude towards the future: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Being optimistic. Not all of the future is great but\nthere\u2019s more good than bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Embracing uncertainty. Accepting the fact that for the\nrest of our lives we\u2019ll be newbies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build our very own ability to separate what\u2019s important from\nthe noise, based on concrete data points. Then decide for ourselves without\ntaking dangerous shortcuts. To help with this I recommend three books: \u201cThe\nInevitable\u201d by Kevin Kelly, \u201cFactfulness\u201d by Hans Rosling, \u201cThe Rise of The\nCreative Class\u201d by Richard Florida.3-5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: The data flood is growing evermore, and\ncoherencies seem to become impenetrable with every new discovery. How\napplicable is “fail fast, fail often” for the digital learning\nprocesses in terms of time and resources? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: In the late 1800s, as economic\nactivity grew, people were debating solutions for the drastic increase of horse\ndung in the streets. It was becoming a huge issue and no solutions in sight.\nThe advent of the combustion engine solved that pressing issue within one\ndecade. As humans evolve they design capabilities for pressing challenges.\nThese days we\u2019re addressing the issues caused by the combustion engine and\nother contributors to global heating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same fashion, we\u2019ll come up with technology that can\nmanage and interpret existing and new data for our needs. Because of the\nincrease of speed and complexity, prototyping in a fail fast, fail often\nfashion as we know it from startups remains highly relevant in my view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: Can you give future leaders a piece of advice\nto take along? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex T. Steffen<\/strong>: There\u2019s only one, but it means\neverything: embrace discomfort. In order to go further we often need to\ntolerate some discomfort. A trampoline requires a downward strain in order to\ngain the force that can shoot a person up in the air. Without the down there\u2019s\nno up. In most cases the internal resistance is much greater than the external\nstruggle. In other words: it\u2019s easier than we think. If we have a good reason\nto act we\u2019ll do it. So here\u2019s mine: if we want to leave a better world for our\nkids, we have to get better at embracing change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUnQ<\/strong>: Inspiring words, thank you very much for the\ninterview, Mr. Steffen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Tatjana Daenzer
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

You can find some perspectives on how to design a future-proof workplace in Alex\u2019 book \u201cThe Orbit Organisation\u201d and on Alex\u2019 blog (http:\/\/www.alextsteffen.com\/blog<\/a>).[1,2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n [1]\n <\/td>\n A.M. Sch\u00fcller, A.T. Steffen, Die Orbit-Organisation, 2019, Gabal\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n [2]\n <\/td>\n http:\/\/www.alextsteffen.com\/blog<\/a>.\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n [3]\n <\/td>\n K. Kelly, The Inevitable, 2017, Penguin Books\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n [4]\n <\/td>\n H. Rosling , O. Rosling, et al., Factfullness, 2018, Sceptre\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n [5]\n <\/td>\n R. Florida, The Rise of The Creative Class, 2014, Basic Books\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alex Steffen[1] makes enterprises future-proof. He is an expert for business strategy and innovation. He is also a no.1 Best-Selling Author and Speaker. His mission by 2025 is to empower 150,000 business leaders to future-proof their enterprise with ease. How? Alex turns business leaders into entrepreneurs. Alex Steffen was named Management Thought Leader 2019 by… Read More »The prospects and limitations of digitalization<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3827"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3827"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3842,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3827\/revisions\/3842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/junq.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}