Just a few weeks away, the Digital Fitness Month (hereafter DFM) kicks off its third edition. This year, the Government Academy for Digitalisation and Government Information (RijksAcademie voor Digitalisering en Informatisering Overheid or RADIO) focuses on information management. How do you handle personal knowledge management?
Come March, government staff and other knowledge and screen-based workers will dedicate time to becoming digitally fitter. Digital Government spoke with Marie Louise Borsje and Lykle de Vries from RADIO about the importance and necessity of this initiative and why participating is highly contagious.
Preparations by RADIO, a co-initiator, are in full swing. Borsje shares, “Once a month, we have a meet-up specifically for leaders. For people thinking: ‘Hey, DFM is great for my organisation, but how do I start?’ Various organisations participate, such as the Tax and Customs Administration, but also the Public Prosecution Service, the Dutch Central Bank, and the Labour Authority. Often, these are staff members who on individual basis bring back the DMF spirit to their organisations.” Such a meet-up is useful for understanding what organisations want to learn and share about digital skills. “What might seem mundane to you can be beneficial to someone else. This leads to an organically evolving programme and to something as simple as taking screenshots.”
De Vries adds, “Even such a small insight can be inspiring. It’s not about having a world-famous speaker for a lecture at your location. It’s about knowing that your colleague has done something clever with their Outlook shortcuts. And that they show it to a larger group, ideally with a computer at hand to try it out. DFM belongs to the people, with as little hassle as possible.”
American party
Borsje explains, “It’s essentially one big ‘American party’. Organisations bring something to the table, creating a campaign. One might say: We’ve created brand style items, and we’re sharing that experience. Another might say: I have a website full of practical tips that everyone can use.” Borsje notes that improving digital skills as a mandatory task from ‘the boss’ is not very effective. “Digital fitness is a personal journey towards professional enrichment. It’s up to you to stay up to date, especially if you notice things aren’t going smoothly.”
Contagious
The laptop or computer is indispensable for knowledge workers. De Vries remarks, “Yet, it seems that we often don’t take mastering these tools seriously.” He draws a comparison: “If it’s a professional working on your electrical panel, you expect them to know what they’re doing. It’s about your craftsmanship. When you open your laptop, do you know which tools are best for which tasks? Is this knowledge shared amongst your team for maximum efficiency? We often don’t address this. The fun part is that DFM lets you hear from your colleagues about how they do things in an accessible way. And that’s very contagious.” Digital fitness isn’t just about efficiency but about working effectively, asserts De Vries. “It’s not about doing more work, but about freeing up time for what’s truly important. Substantive work, getting to know colleagues better, researching. And that you stay not just digitally fit but also mentally fit.”
From shame to confidence
De Vries shares, “We often encounter a degree of shame when teaching people computer skills. Sometimes they physically back away and become quieter because they’re just scared. For instance, they’re afraid to admit they tried something, but it went horribly wrong, and they deleted their entire Outlook mailbox. But by doing so, you’re limiting yourself and your colleagues. DFM exactly offers that step towards easier contact.” Borsje notes the proactive steps organisations are taking, such the Digital Skills in Healthcare (Digivaardig in de Zorg) initiative, where digital coaches are used. Last year, almost 3,000 were trained. A digital coach is someone on the floor who’s just a bit more digitally savvy than the rest of the staff. Having such a coach gives colleagues more confidence.”
Practical wisdom
To wrap up, Borsje and De Vries offer some advice: “Follow an e-learning from RADIO’s offerings with your team or a group of people, it’s far more enjoyable. DFM presents numerous entry points for everyone, with webinars and microlearning opportunities widely available.” De Vries adds, “DFM offers many entry points, something for everyone. And the webinars are publicly available.” Like the webinars Become a Personal Knowledge Management Champion and Clean up Your Digital Mess. One last piece of advice: “See what fits your team, what works. By engaging playfully, you also get to know each other better.”
The month’s festive opening is on 1 March. Curious to discover more? Visit the RADIO webpage during the Digital Fitness Month.
