Small change: technology is not the answer

First published on
Sep 12, 2023
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Writing Small Change Creativity at work Culture in companies Getting change done High performing teams Leadership development 2023

One of the great unanswered questions of the modern age is why labour saving technologies never save labour, and, in fact, only appear to make us all busier than ever.

There’s actually a simple answer to this question: because technology tends to human beings to operate it, or work with it in some way. And human beings are inconsistent, illogical, contradictory, inefficient and unreliable. (The other equally accurate answer to the question is “because capitalism”, but that topic is a bit big for this email.)

It is for this reason that change initiatives that centre technology over people tend to fail. We all have a wonderful habit of finding ways to mess up even the best designed systems — particularly if we perceive that those systems threaten us in some way.

Something to consider: where are we failing to put people first?

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