New technology is often like shiny toys as it can bring people together in gathering; a cheering on, a gallery of sorts. Even if we don’t know what the toy or the tech does, it can quickly become a must have.  The toy is fun.

Organisations often focus on the technology, some new thing that is going to solve all or at least some of our problems, yet, it rarely does.  It often fails, organisational history being littered with failed technology solutions.  That’s often because the technology is the easy part, defining the problem is the difficult part.

Organisational problems are rarely need new technology to solve, as most are rooted in management.  Management failing to hold people accountable, failing to have the tough conversations (in a healthy way), and failing to communicate clearly and regularly.  Business processes are rarely implemented as consistently as they are on paper.  Organisational culture resists change at every turn -> the way things are done around here is repeatedly re-enforced by stories of people here, do things like this.

When thinking about change, I find the above four circles helpful to remember; the bigger the circle the larger the effort required for change to occur and remain.  The lever in all of this are stories; change the stories, change the organisation.  Did you notice how small the tech circle is?