Digital culture does not exist. Sorry.

On July 10, 2018, I was able to give a presentation on the topic of digital culture at the digitalHUB Aachen on the occasion of the Digital Culture Day and continue the discussion in a small group with interested participants of the event. My insight from this is both exciting and frightening: corporate culture remains a vague but very important topic that seems to be in its infancy more than ever due to the digital transformation.

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Cultural aspects that favor dealing with change

It’s not really surprising that nobody can name what digital culture is supposed to be. Probably somehow agile, probably something to do with smartphones, the GDPR – the answers to my questions to various people in my circle of acquaintances in advance could not have been more divergent.

My “take” with regard to digital culture is that there is no such thing per se. Rather, there are merely cultural aspects that can be helpful in an age of accelerating change in order to respond better to this change.

At first glance, this may seem like a subtlety, yes. At second glance, however, it becomes clear that if we have to adapt to a longer-term change, this culture should not be limited to what we currently understand by digital. But to all technologies that influence our lives.

Discussion necessary

Of course, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t talk about corporate culture in a digital context. Quite the opposite. I think we need to do it more.

“It is not the corporate culture that is becoming more important – it has always been important – but the conscious engagement with it.”

I believe that intervening in and “wanting to improve” the corporate culture is increasingly becoming a conscious instrument of corporate management and development.

Difficult self-assessment

But it’s not easy at all. This is also largely due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to assess the corporate culture of your own company. This self-assessment is, so to speak, the starting point for further development.

Paradigms of action

I think an important overarching cultural aspect in the broader sense is that companies are beginning to change their general paradigms of action.

“Long-term short-sightedness” must be replaced by “short-term farsightedness”.”

“Long-term short-sightedness” means, for example, that many companies today plan for the long term but lack the necessary foresight when it comes to strategy. For example, decisions are made on the basis of current market conditions instead of trends in market changes.

Instead, a paradigm of “short-term foresight” is required. In other words, developing the business in small cycles and following a very long-term development at a strategic level based on an external influence. I think all companies that act in this way are successful today and in the future.

It will remain exciting

It is undisputed that corporate culture is becoming increasingly important. It will be exciting to see how the various players in the market will approach this topic. I assume that this will soon be exploited by the larger consulting firms. Unfortunately, this will not necessarily provide more clarity.