It is now clear to everyone that digitalization is profoundly changing our lives. Some hate the triumph of zeros and ones and condemn autistic smartphone typists as modern zombies. Others worship digital transformation like an all-powerful cult. Let's get to the bottom of this.
The internet emerged from the US Department of Defense's Arpanet. Military use gave way to academic research and eventually became commonplace. Yesterday and today, the web consists of a network of computers that communicate in binary code. As their number grew, so did speed, data volume, and connections. In order to meet more needs for better sales in a targeted manner, production became increasingly specific to target groups. Complexity and the pace of change increased exponentially.
Data highways as solution highways
Today, data highways are emerging as the solution to all challenges, large and small. The problem: everything had to be packaged in zeros and ones—and so digitalization was born. What is happening today with photos, music, and communication is nothing new. Digitalization is enabling undreamt-of services, products, information, and mobility.
Whether it's autonomous driving, forgotten parking spaces, or low blood sugar levels: the possibilities are dizzying. Many make sense, others don't. But the impact of these ideas affects each and every one of us. Whether we like it or not. It's like playing "Ludo." You can enjoy the game and use its rules, or you can complain about them. It's up to you to decide which perspective is wiser.
I would like to bring another perspective into play. After all, even digitalization ultimately only creates products that people want to buy—whether sensible or not. Take tobacco or alcohol consumption, for example. It almost always comes down to the emotions that make up our lives. So it's not about the number of breaths we take, but the number of breathtaking moments in our lives.
Personal responsibility as the key
What a wonderful guide. It always comes down to the question of "master or slave." Are we masters or slaves to our smartphones and constant availability? Masters or slaves to our goals? To our perfectionism? To digitalization? Yes, masters or slaves to our lives? Personal responsibility is the key. How much influence do I allow circumstances that pull at me to have, and how do I deal with them? In short: How cleverly do I use digitalization in my life?
An example from everyday management: Today, leader are leader managing remotely. This has led to a growing desire for autonomous, highly self-reliant people. We all know how difficult they are to find. But because leadership is an emotional act, we should choose our communication media accordingly. Face-to-face conversations in the same room create the strongest emotional bond. Skype reduces these emotions, and telephone and written correspondence even more so. One-on-one communication has a more intense effect than group communication. If you are sensitive to the impact of these channels, you will use the tools of digital communication sensitively and cleverly.
Slave or master? – Using tools consciously
Please observe when you are master or slave. And become aware of the triggers. The more conscious you become of being "master," the stronger you will become. The stronger you become, the more you can empower others. It's that simple—and yet seemingly so difficult to implement. It is and remains a challenge. Every day anew.
For more insights on the topic of digitalization, watch the video episode“Digitalization – Tools That Help and Hinder”from Grundls Gründe. The key is always to use new tools to your advantage without responsibility your own responsibility . Because that’s the only way you can grow as a person.
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