Digital Natives: The Next Generation of Knowledge Workers
Wikipedia defines a "digital native" as a person who was born during or after the general introduction of digital
technology; this person, through interacting with digital technology from an early age, has a greater understanding of its concepts.
For digital natives, there has ALWAYS been the presence of computers, cell phones, GPS devices, etc. As this generation matures and
moves into positions of leadership, they will bring very different expectations about how work should be done: how to create,
communicate and collaborate.
This session will focus on the impact that digital natives have had on society, culture and organizations. More importantly, this
session will highlight FORESIGHT of evolving trends into INSIGHT about the future impact of digital natives and what ACTION should be
taken to leverage this powerful force for innovation.
Areas of focus for this panel session will include:
- Understanding what makes a "digital native" a digital native
- Gaining insight into how digital natives differ from previous generations, especially in terms of personal and work values
- Exploring the impact that digital natives will have on the nature of work
- Identifying steps that participant organizations have taken to prepare for the successful transition of digital natives
- Sharing how can organizations effectively unleash new environments of creativity and innovation while leveraging the increasing numbers of digital natives
- Exploring how reward systems can/should adapt to the influx of digital natives
Session Outcome(s):
- Leadership preparation for a new generation of knowledge workers
- Gain insight into how best to unleash and leverage a new generation of knowledge workers to create innovation
- Identify areas for future ITSMF symposium topics
Leadership for an Uncertain World
In the morning plenary session, keynote presenter Dr. Bob Johansen illustrated how Foresight of future cultural, organizational and
technical trends can be used in practical ways to provoke Insight and Action in the present. He suggested ten new leadership skills
that will be needed to thrive in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity - but still a world of great opportunity.
In this follow-on session, we will explore these new leadership skills in depth:
- Maker Instinct (leaders approach their leadership with the commitment of a job and energy of a passionate hobby)
- Clarity (leaders being clear about what they are making, but flexible about how it gets made)
- Dilemma Flipping (turning problems that cannot be solved into opportunities)
- Immersive Learning (learning by doing)
- Bio-empathy (understand, respect and learn from nature)
- Constructive Depolarization (calming tense situations and bringing people from divergent cultures towards constructive engagement)
- Quiet Transparency (the ability to be open and authentic about what matters to you, without self-promotion)
- Rapid Prototyping (the ability to create early versions of innovations)
- Smart Mob Organizing (creating, engaging and nurturing social networks)
- Commons Creating (stimulate, grow and nurture shared assets that can benefit other players)
Areas of focus for this panel session will include:
- Defining the new leadership skills in more depth and clarity
- Identifying which of these skills are especially critical for leaders of IT organizations
- Sharing effective strategies to increase proficiency in these skills
Session Outcome(s):
- Shared vision of 21st Century leadership skills
- Strategies for developing skill proficiency in self and others
- Identify areas for future ITSMF symposium topics
Entrepreneurship: New World, New Opportunities
The emerging world painted in the morning plenary session opens up challenges and opportunities for tomorrow's IT entrepreneurs.
This forum session will focus on identifying some of these key challenges/opportunities; we will then work to identify ways that
these challenges/opportunities can be leveraged by business owners. Using the FORESIGHT to INSIGHT to ACTION model, participants
will be led, in a working session, to identify key emerging business trends that either threaten today's business models or open up
new business approaches.
Areas of focus for this panel session will include:
- Defining emerging trends that have business implications for the customer/supplier relationship
- Identifying new business areas that result from evolving trends
- Identifying possible business partnership and collaborations that could provide innovative ways to build and sustain business ventures
Session Outcome(s):
- Participants will develop a strategy for leveraging emerging trends to create business opportunities
- Share strategies for developing business partnerships and collaborations based on emerging trends
- Identify areas for future ITSMF symposium topics
Future World of Education
Today's education system is not delivering the diverse talent needed for TODAY'S world…much less the emerging world painted in
the morning plenary session! It is clear that jobs of the future will require a basic understanding of math and science. The most
recent ten-year employment projections by the U.S. Labor Department show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for
2014, fifteen of them require significant mathematics or science preparation to successfully compete for a job.[1]
Innovative new approaches are needed to prepare tomorrow’s students for STEM-related professions, particularly those students
coming from traditionally underserved/underperforming segments of the U.S. community. Our IT leaders would like to know: What
approaches are working today? What new approaches are needed? What is the role of IT business leaders and owners in making a
difference in this critical area?
[1] Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Fastest growing occupations, 2004-14
http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab21.html
Areas of focus for this panel session will include:
- Reviewing interesting experiments and current government strategies/approach for the education pipeline:
- K-12 system
- College and community college
- The special role of HBCU/HHS institutions
- Defining emerging trends that have implications for the education systems
- Identifying and discussing how technology is used to enhance the education process
Session Outcome(s):
- Identify input for ITSMF's strategy for working with educational systems, colleges and HBCUs/HHSs institutions
- Personal action plans for individuals to make a difference in the existing education crisis
- Identify areas for future ITSMF symposium topics
Q1-2012 registration is open! To take advantage of the discounted Symposium rates below, you must register BEFORE
January 9, 2012. As of January 10th, an additional $150 fee will be applied to ALL Symposium registrations.
| Q1-2012 SYMPOSIUM & AWARDS CEREMONY |
| Guest Fees |
| Thurs. Networking Reception | $85.00 |
| Friday Symposium | $300.00 |
| Saturday Symposium | $65.00 |
| Awards Ceremony | $500.00 |
Note: A 4.5% processing fee is applied to all credit card transactions
Special discounted rates are also available for Guests in the Government, Education and Not-For-Profit sectors; for
additional information on these rates, please call 404.514.4845.
