Do you ever see those surveys? The ones asking, “which of these solutions do you use for ….” It could be everything from project management to sending email to creating video. While I thought I was doing okay (Constant Contact for email, Streamyard for live streaming, Canva for graphics), I didn’t recognize most of the apps and platforms listed, many with comments like “My business couldn’t survive without this!”
Is it time to upgrade your tech?
I’m a firm believer that tech should support strategy and goals, not the other way around. Technology changes every day, and I do sometimes fear that if you miss the evolutionary changes in tech, it may get so advanced that you can’t catch up. On the other hand, call it lazy or smart, I don’t want to learn complicated technology that I won’t need or that may not last. (You can read about the five stages of learning new tech here. Note that stage three is crying.)
How do you know which tech you really need to know?
Ask someone who knows these things. That’s something new we are going to do periodically throughout 2022 on Intercultural Spark, starting today with my guest, Thierry Hubert of Digimax Global, Inc. Thierry is a longtime friend and technologist doing things like using AI to look at human pattern detection to aid in hiring and other “human capital insight solutions.” Offense at the term “human capital” aside, Thierry is among people who are working on AI and IoT and digital currency and pushing the limits of the tech universe.
You may never need any of this to run your business or realize life projects. However, when you understand the theories driving innovative technologies, you may find there is knowledge that scales to your needs, or at least informs what you are seeing in the market.
The oldest of phrases still rings true here. The only constant is change. You may decide you are fine where you are. But make that an active, informed, business decision.
Old School Is Still Cool
Earlier today, my college roommate’s millennial daughter posted that for her 33rd birthday she would like nothing more than to lie in bed and open a pile of letters on her special day. How wonderful to be able to respond so easily to someone saying, “this will make me really happy if you do it.” It was non tech and effective. And I drew from a very ingrained boomer or even silent generation practice…always have boxes of sympathy, thank you and birthday note cards on hand. You know, just in case.
As high tech as we get. Low tech and personal may still be the right solution.
What things, if any, have you “technified” in your business? What practices have you purposely not switched to a technology solution? What challenges do you wish had a better automated solution?