As technical people, we spend immense time and energy mastering the nuances of specific technologies. Esoteric knowledge is our currency, and we often measure our personal value against the yardstick of technical nuance. And sometimes (maybe lots of times) we gauge other people with the same yardstick, and dismiss those who don’t measure up.
This attitude can be toxic in an IT department. It’s even more problematic across the business. When a business person comes to IT to solve a problem, technical leaders might respond with elusive jargon, talk around the issue, or try to explain why a problem isn’t really a problem.
When I was in enterprise IT, Jared sat a few cubicles away from me. He was a proud technology curmudgeon, scoffing at every business request that came his way and constantly decrying our imbecile leaders – he wasn’t always wrong. On one hand, Jared was a hard worker. He knew how to make systems work efficiently and he got projects done. On the other hand, he saw his work solely through his own lens of productivity. For example, he couldn’t conceive that processing individual requests could be more efficient overall than batching work together (See the penny game.) Any request that reduced his individual productivity was perceived as moronic and he shared this perception openly.
I’ve seen the same pattern emerge when business leaders approach IT for help to solve legitimate business problems. Entire technical organizations dismiss important requests with condescension because the requestor “just doesn’t understand” how things work – or because they’re singularly focused on the efficiency of IT.
This dynamic creates a negative spiral where the business doesn’t trust or rely on IT, the technology organization becomes an ever increasing cost center, and technical leaders justify their existence as they claw for budget without proper business context.
So how does a technologist, regardless of role, prevent or interrupt this toxic spiral?
First, respect the business and respect people. There are plenty of smart people in every area of the business – even if they don’t understand technology. Get to know non-IT people in your organization and listen when they talk. Take a lesson from Ted Lasso and “be curious, not judgemental.”
Second, find smart people who think outside of their domain. Get to know people and their problems. Create your own informal network of people who care about getting things done and making things better. Grow your influence with decision makers. Everyone has to get buy-in, from the CEO to the IC. Connect with people and then listen to their problems.
Third, see people through the lens of their strengths. Seek out people who have strengths adjacent, and even complimentary, to yours. Observe the ways in which they excel. Be aware of an individual’s weaknesses, but don’t focus on them. If you’re categorizing people in your mind, track them based on strength.
Fourth, when someone excels, tell them and be specific. “I saw how you solved problem X. Your solution was creative and effective and I never would have thought of it!” Or, “You did an amazing job navigating that tense conversation. I learned a lot by watching you.” If you consistently interact with people this way, you will marshall a private army who will be willing to work with you toward a worthy cause.
Fifth, ask good questions. Start with “What problem are we trying to solve?” Stay focused. Don’t think of localized expenses first, think globally. How much does this problem cost and how can we solve it in a way that makes sense economically? Solve first, optimize second. If the solution makes sense economically, there are likely more gains to be had optimizing over time. Many great projects have been derailed by optimizing too early and in the wrong places.
Sixth, don’t merely talk. Act — within your sphere of influence. Find a way to test ideas and use the informal network of like minded people you’ve built. If all of your solutions involve other people doing things, you’re doing it wrong. Problems get fixed because people decide to fix them. Everyone who’s accomplished great things has battled opposition. They all had dissenters, barriers, and structural challenges. Figure out what you can do, and start doing it within the existing structures, leveraging your informal influence. Positive progress will beget change.
Lastly, be patient. It’s entirely likely you will observe only small, incremental changes for a long time. You may never completely solve a problem. Or, if you do, you’ll be confronted with a new set of challenges you weren’t aware of before. In my view, this is a fundamental part of being human. We try, imperfectly. We improve, imperfectly. Even when we execute with excellence, we do it imperfectly. Accept the reality of imperfection, then do the work anyway.
