Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)Woodblock print, ca. 1831
Can you see yourself in the boat – crouched down, paddling hard to avoid being swamped by the wave? Or are you on the shore, hoping it will pass by?
Getting positioned not just to survive but to thrive in the digital age is a top priority for all of us, in every sector. The two sessions we had at the excellent Corra change conference exposed a real appetite in the voluntary sector to engage with this agenda, but also flagged up the need for trusted guides through the jungle of advice and ‘assistance’. Digital is a big, baggy topic, wrapping up lots of different things, and busy folk like you don’t want to make a mis-step, or head up a blind alley. With funding from the Big Lottery, SCVO have been leading excellent work with their One Digital initiative, developing a range of advice, projects and training programmes. Find out more here or @digiscot #OneDigital.
Fact is, there’s no single ‘right way’ into this stuff. And it’s an iterative, agile world, where learning from ‘mistakes’ is encouraged (the ‘fail fast’ doctrine) so the important thing is not where you start, but when. A Chinese proverb says: the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is now. What are you waiting for?
