Published: 05 June 2026
Maverick type: TAKE A MINORITY POSITION: Most definitions of digital dexterity assume that faster adoption leads to better outcomes. In practice, the opposite is often true: organizations that move the fastest accumulate the most regret. The typical rhetoric about digital dexterity includes an unstated assumption: that dexterity delivers value after you decide to use a new technology. Consequently, dexterity is presented as the ability to take up new technologies, and establishing dexterity equates to instilling that ability in your workforce. This Maverick* research says something different: Digital dexterity includes the capacity to reject new technologies quickly and confidently. Balancing acceptance and rejection of new technologies yields a proper balance between responsiveness and equilibrium.
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