Controlling and Thriving

by | Mar 31, 2022 | Change, ICT4D |

controlling and thriving

Control is cruelly seductive. We, as individuals or organisations, crave it. And yet, the more we obtain, the more it eats us till we’re hollow inside and crumble. Helping others thrive has its own temptations. Total control is hard to scale, helping others thrive is all about scale as it multiples. Both have risks and benefits.

We see this in diigtal transformation as most organisations try to control what system, software, device, and so on is used for every activity. And yet, we are now seeing some organisations shift to BYOD – Bring your own device – model. We also see it when in conversations about data sharing and interoperability. Does everyone need to use the same digital solution or can they choose?

This is not say that BYOD or choose your own digital solution is not without controls. It works if there is clear, shared standards that are met and adhered to. Some of these will be around security, but there are others too enabling interoperability to work. It matters not what device you are reading this blog on – it could be an Apple device, something from Google or Microsoft or even Dell, it could also be powered by a Raspberry Pi. It could be anyone one of a million or more combinations of hardware and software enabling you to access the internet and read this post. The internet works because there are a few, not many, underlying and globally agreed standards of how the internet works allowng to post and you to read.

So yes, those standards are controls, but they are few and enable billions to thrive.

And so when you think about the digital transformation and change you are a part of, consider what you need to control and what you don’t. It is often much less than we think.

How can you help others thrive today?

Photo by Markus Spiske

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