April 18, 2008

Technology Does Matter. But the HUMAN Dimension of Tech Matters More.

When we think about technology we often think of the bytes and bits, the software and the hardware surrounding the hardware we use on a daily basis. We think of Facebook, QuickBooks, Microsoft Office and Google's Search Engine. We think of Dell servers and HP notebooks. But to really get the value out of technology it's so much more than this.

In a FastCompany interview, Gartner Researcher Tom Austin writes Yes, but I'm going to add one caveat. The big difference is the speed at which we establish relationships, the ease with which we can find out about people, and the distance at which we can work with people. Seventy-five years ago, we were organized into regimented, hierarchical, bureaucratic structures that were top-down driven. Information moved from office to office in days or weeks. People developed a small number of relationships in a number of communities you could count on the fingers of one hand. Today, all that has exploded -- speed, distance, number of relationships, and ways of looking at the world. But at the core of it, we're still people dealing with people.

While technology, in and of itself is amazing, what's more amazing is how we can use technology to smartly engage with people, find information, connect with colleagues and contribute to the social dimensions of our corporate lives.

If you want your small business to leverage technology as a powerful tool for business growth always consider the two dimensions of technology. The technical and the human dimensions.

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