The generational shift in human capital, the speed to innovation, and technology are preparing to clash, as many legacy organization’s technologies are approaching obsolescence.
It seems as many business leaders think there is no reason to upgrade their processes or technologies if their customers are not complaining. Well, here’s the mistake in that thinking. These leaders forgot about Internal Customers. It’s true that external customers might not currently recognize an organization’s inefficacies. However, sooner or later, a competitor who delivers a better experience will educate those customers.
Let’s go back to the internal customers, those individuals who show up every day to help you run and grow your business. Do you believe that the younger generation is going to be excited to use technology that is outdated, inefficient, and perform processes which noticeable waste time? The answer is: No, they won’t.
The new generation played with toys more sophisticated than the technologies running many of the companies they now seek to work for.
Many leaders are asking their tech-savvy employees to play pong when these workers grew up with virtual automation and live in a digital world. Just as no business uses the phone book to prospect, none of its associates should be forced to use outdated technologies, or perform routine tasks manually, tasks which should be automated.
How will legacy organizations attract younger tech-savvy associates if these organizations don’t update? They can’t. Oh, and those that brag they can, guess what? You are admitting that you are holding back talent. Think about what could be discovered if your associates had the tools to mine data, identifying trends and concepts that only modern technology can see.
Today’s technologies will illuminate what yesterday’s technologies kept in the dark.
A flaw many make in evaluating technology investments is they see the new technology sitting in their old systems. Most don’t use their imaginations to understand how new technology reinvents old systems and outdated processes. Today organizations must be able to consistently reinvent not merely seek occasional improvement like in the past.
In closing:
Leaders remember, your external customers might not yet be disturbed by your inefficiencies. However, your internal customers are either bored out of their minds or wasting time, time which could be applied to enhancing customer experiences. Just because things seem to be running fine doesn’t mean that things couldn’t be running ten or twenty times better.
Status Quo is the killer of all that will be invented, don’t get stuck in status quo.
–Ray Stasieczko, CEO/Founder TEASRA, The Innovation Channel
