Operational digital maturity and employees' digital dexterity are critical to compete and grow in the Age of AI. Are operations functioning smoothly with AI well-integrated? Are your employees all digitally capable and comfortable?

95% of senior IT leaders in the US, UK, Germany, and France agree that digital dexterity will be essential to organizational success in the coming three years - ​Science of Productivity Report, Pt 1: Transformation: Driving Adoption, Productivity, & Change in the AI Era​, ​Nexthink​ 2024.

Shifting company-wide fitness for digital transformation is #3 of the five key shifts. Shifting to growth/open mindsets (#1) with a flexible framework (#2), your business needs embedded digital operating flexibility and adaptability which employees must have capacity and confidence to work with effectively.

A well-developed AI strategy with targeted digital/AI investments must be supplemented by deliberate emphasis on upskilling and application of digital skills to enable all employees' digital fluency, flexibility, and adaptability.

Uneven distribution of digital skills leads to tech rollouts being resisted or sabotaged, tools not being utilized well/enough, and initiatives stall:  

• Only 47% of employees have the digital dexterity to adapt to new technologies.
• 91% of IT leaders expect digital friction to increase as AI adoption accelerates [​Nethink, report Pt1​]
• 1% of leaders called their firms “mature” on AI deployment in January 2025 [​McKinsey '25​].
• 39% of UK employees report receiving AI training, while 97% of HR leaders say the company provides it.
• 33% of UK employees feel unprepared to adopt AI within the next 1-3 years.
• 48% UK senior leaders and 29% of middle managers had never used an AI tool [​Corndel’s 2025 Workplace Training Report​].
• 31% of employees (41% Gen Zs) are sabotaging company's AI strategy—from fears about AI to concerns about quality of AI tools—by refusing to use AI tools or outputs [​WRITER/Workplace Intelligence​ survey '25]
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What is the daily cost of DIGITAL FRICTION for your business?
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Digital friction is the unnecessary effort and time an employee spends trying to use data or technology at work—when they are not contributing to business outcomes or growth.

The shifts necessary for digital transformation require human-centric attention—trust, communication, participation, and support—or they will fail. Leaders must recognize these dynamics before and alongside upskilling.

96% of senior IT leaders say enhanced digital adoption support will be critical for helping employees adapt to AI — ​Nethink, report Pt1​.

Fit with the Hype Cycle?

With AI Agentic hype noted at the peak, are we set for a tumble? A change in sentiment doesn't mean that AI integration will slow down or lose relevance. Where are we in the cycle? What are the general benefits being realized?

• 50% of UK tech leaders have improved their products/services using AI.
• 75% see AI's positive impact on company growth [​TechNation, 2025​]
• 73% of organisations globally are using or piloting AI in core functions.
• 56% of citizens worldwide now believe AI will positively transform their lives in the next 10 years [​Founders Forum Group, June 2025​]

For your company to make ongoing progress through its digital transformation, advanced digital maturity and dexterity are essential. These attributes also bring meaningful positive outcomes for your business and workforce:

1. Enhanced Financial & Operational Performance - 49% of high (digital) maturity organizations experienced above average revenue growth and net profit margin growth [​Deloitte Insights​].

2. Greater Creativity & Innovation - 66% of high (digital) maturity organizations are likely to encourage smart risk-taking vs 17% at lower maturity ones [​Deloitte Insights​].

3. Operational Resilience & Agility - Identifying where attention is needed, mature digital operations can rapidly shift work across functions, scaling when needed, and maintaining business continuity [​Digital Operating Officer​].

4. Improved Employee Responsiveness - Digitally skilled employees make better use of data improving forecasting and business agility; they can pivot faster, collaborate better, and innovate more effectively [​Gyde​].

5. Empowered Employees' Results - 97% of non-IT leaders agree effectively managed Digital Employee Experiences (DEX) positively impacts employee productivity [​Ivanti research quoted in DLL Workplace Trend Report 2025​].

96% of senior IT leaders believe this wave of AI-driven digital transformation will be the most intensive and impactful yet — ​Nethink, report Pt1​.

Who's Getting Fitter?

​Amazon​ (US): Invested >$1.2 billion since 2019 to retrain 350,000 employees in cloud, AI, and data roles embedding digital skills into frontline roles.

​Cognizant​ (Global/India) — Targeting 200,000 employees with high-performance digital skills training programs by 2026 to accelerate adoption.

​Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Eli Lilly ​(US Pharma) — Mandating/encouraging AI training for tens of thousands; Eli Lilly requires AI certification for all leaders.

​IKEA​ (Sweden) — Developing courses and training materials for ~160,000 co-workers in 31 countries, customising solutions as new AI technologies emerge.

​Siemens​ (Germany) — Scaling Industry 4.0 digital twin solutions across manufacturing operations to boost agility and predictive capabilities.

​Schneider Electric​ (France) — Embedding IoT platforms and immersive training for thousands of engineers and frontline staff worldwide.

​DHL​ (Germany) — Committing $2 billion to digitalization, including AI-powered logistics, predictive routing, and real-time operational dashboards.

Just as physical fitness requires consistency, digital fitness demands ongoing practice and progress. Here’s how you can start::

1. Begin Assess Your Digital Baseline - Run a digital maturity audit. Map where operations are automated and where skills gaps remain. Identify friction points employees are quietly struggling with.
2. Define Dexterity Goals - Set clear adoption and fluency targets. Digital dexterity is measurable—through usage of digital tools, productivity, and employee confidence surveys.
3. Upskill Continuously - Embed micro-learning and AI-enabled training directly into workflows. Encourage “learning sprints” that normalize practice and iteration.
4. Pilot Augmented Connected Worker Tools - Test wearables, AR/VR, and digital adoption platforms in teams to showcase value and spread confidence. Such initiatives can lift productivity 20–30% [Gartner].
5. Align Tech with Human Needs - Communicate transparently. Involve employees in tool selection and rollout. Recognize resistance as a signal—not sabotage to punish, but trust to build.
6. Measure, Adapt, Repeat - Track ROI through efficiency gains, engagement, and reduced digital friction. Reinforce progress visibly to sustain momentum.

📘 ​The Technology Fallacy​, MIT Sloan - people drive digital transformation.

🗞️ ​The Future of AI and Productivity,​ FT - imperatives for EU digitalization.

📹 ​Leading Through the AI Revolution​, Satya Nadella - the next wave.

🎶 ​Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,​ Daft Punk - working on digitally fitness!

Digital fitness is not a one-off initiative—it is a leadership commitment to operational and human transformation. Ramp it up consistently, and your teams will not only adopt technology but thrive through it.

With insights tailored for your organization and workforce, I can assist your growth with leadership skills that enable your business to scale effectively. ​Click here to book a 30-minute session.​

Until next time!

Sophie

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P.S. Is your team achieving the outcomes you believe they are capable of? Take my new Empowering High-Performing Teams course to build new capabilities ready for a busy autumn.