Technology: Easy Target, Not Always the Solution

Harry HoweMay 05, 2010

1 minute read

Today’s business environment is tough and unforgiving. And it is getting more so. At least half of the visionary companies extolled in Jim Collins’ classic book Built to Last have slipped in performance and reputation in the decade since it was first published.

One of the contributing factors I have observed is that few of the tough problems we face today are one dimensional – what appears to be a technology problem is seldom that simple. Your problem may manifest itself in the technology arena, but most often I find that there are people and process components to the problem.

As our use of technology has matured, it has become intertwined with the business processes it supports. Similarly, the complexity of business has driven complex processes that could only be supported by sophisticated technology and well-trained people.

Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal. – Vince Lombardi

The lesson in all this is that technology by itself is not a silver bullet for every problem your business faces. It offers a tempting solution because you can buy it or outsource it. In contrast, fixing people issues and business processes requires hard work.