Cultivating a Digital Mindset



Dr Uttara Pattanaik on Digital Mindset

Digital mindset it a set of behavioral and attitudinal patterns which are purpose and value driven, connect people and aim for excellence. The digital transformation calls for a culture that is based on equanimity, collaborative & co-operative approach, open mindedness, gratitude, trust and appreciation.  

Defining values and role modelling the same in a consistent manner will build trust, ownership and allow people to walk the extra mile to make the transformation successful.   


(Dr Uttara Pattanaik speaking on Digital Mindset at Digital Transformation in Context of New India -The Summit held at NDIM, New Delhi)


In a digital transformation initiative, while technology is the key enabler, the actual critical success factor is culture.  It is all about people’s mindset and behaviour.  This must be led from top, enabled by HR and constantly reinforced by leadership behavior.  Continuous communication at all levels is crucial.  It is important for people to understand why digital. A deliberate effort to demystify digital and establish a common understanding in a language that people relate to is a must.

In any organization, through digital transformation, we aim to transform the business, right? The reality is that the business will only transform if your people do.  One has to bring people along in this journey.  Change is uncomfortable, so one has to continuously remind people why Digital Transformation is required – the market context, business context and client context.  It is important that everyone in the company feels that they have a role to play and that they can make a positive impact and can make a difference to the success of the journey. Transparency, open channel of communication, acknowledging difficulties, helping each other can make this journey easier.

Following are the 3 fundamental requirements of a digital mindset:

1- Collaborative Leadership Approach
o   Leaders and transformation champions have to be knowledgeable yet empathetic towards the disruptive environment
o   Calls for consistent role modelling, equanimity and connectedness
o   Encourage an ambidextrous culture that encourages both structured and innovation mindset
o   Hold the space for safe environment that allows employee to experiment, learn, share, improvise and customize from real experience.
o   Be open, respectful and inclusive – Encourage different mental models with divergent worldviews.
o   Be non-judgmental, embrace Diversity / Inclusiveness - Respectful of diverse perspectives
o   Encourage people to complement each other, not duplicate

·      2- Openness for learning and change
o   Employees must have curiosity for new information
o   Continuous and collaborative learning is must.
o   Transformation champions must keep it simple, demystify digital transformation and make it relatable to all
o   To ensure ownership, explain why it required (market context / business context/client context), relevance to each function and the individual roles and responsibilities in their circle of influence.
o   Connecting global views to local is must.

3- Exploration and Risk taking
o   Explore beyond the obvious
o   Be comfortable with ambiguity
o   Be vigilant yet supportive
o   Transformation champions while responsible for driving and supporting change, must also assure employees that old will be sustained for stability
o   Continuous training, experimentation and improvisation is required.

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Brief Profile

Dr. Uttara Pattanaik is an ICF Certified Leadership & Life Coach, Mentor, Personal Mastery Expert and a Strategic Leadership Advisor. She is the founder of Uttara Pattanaik Consulting Services (UPCS), a organization that enables organizations/teams/Individuals to be their best version. 

Prior to her entrepreneurial journey, Uttara worked for 18 years in healthcare industry in senior leadership positions at national & international levels. She leverages her business, leadership, diversity experiences coupled with coaching and NLP skills to enable people to maximize their full potential.

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