So you've decided you need new tech. But if you think you need new tech because you currently have old tech, you’re not thinking hard enough.
Will your new systems and processes take everyone forward, or will they simply replace what you had?
To ensure you are creating tech for the future, and not just replicating what you've always done, you need to reframe the problem. You need to view it through the lens of... the Who.
Who are the Who?
The Who are the most important part of any change and transformation journey.
They are the people. They are your employees, your customers and your shareholders.
We often go to what we know as our fear takes hold. But when we consider the problems through the lens of the Who, we start to uncover the real opportunities for change, transformation and growth.
You also get a stronger buy-in because the Who can start to see the value of the change.
Michel Bachmann’s adaption of the Golden Circle to the Golden Spiral shows very succinctly that the Who are the foundations.
Let's take an example. You're a decision maker in a large organisation.
You have decided the company needs a new CRM. (Maybe the CRM you have is outdated, or perhaps there are whole sections of your organisation that don't or can't use the current setup.)
It would be very simple to choose a new system and start preparing for the change. But before you jump straight to the What and the How, think about your Who.
What are their needs?
What would be the value of a new CRM, to them and ultimately how do you achieve that return on investment?
● For the employee, the value and return on investment comes from changing their ways of working. The new technology may allow you to reorganise departments, because it can take care of some of the heavy lifting. It may automate some of the processes.
● For the customer, the new system will make interactions simpler and more straightforward. Now that there is better connectivity, whichever department the customer comes through to can go into the system and see what's going on with them, then look after them accordingly.
● And, of course, if those two needs are met, there's more value for the shareholder.
Once you reframe your tech need by looking through the lens of the Who, you will notice that the problems we're solving aren't, "what new technology should we get?" or "how can we get people to use it?" The problems we're solving are, "how do people work?" and "how do people connect?"
And it's the answers to these questions that will make sure you create the future instead of just replicating the past.
Comments