This blog post is the second in a five-part series examining key insights from our CTO James Phillips on how to build an effective technology organization. Find the first blog post from this series here.
“But this is how we’ve always done it.”
Have you heard that before? In many technology organizations, this phrase is repeated far too frequently. What’s more, the repercussions of this sentiment can have damaging effects. If left unaddressed, this “status quo” team mentality can affect your organization’s technology vision and execution for years to come. Therefore, inspiring a continuous improvement mentality among your technology organization is key.
What if instead of blindly accepting the status quo, your technology leaders inspire personal and professional development throughout the team? Let’s look at several continuous improvement strategies and the resounding positive impact these development practices can have on a technology organization.
Setting the Stage
Self-improvement and professional development are concepts that each member of your team needs to embrace. If they don’t already exhibit these qualities, then they need to be open to adopting them. Otherwise, they may not fit the direction of your organization long term.
The advanced communications and IT worlds are fast-paced. Across each segment in this space, technology evolves constantly. To keep up, your team will need to avoid becoming content with existing strategies and thought processes.
By being open to pointing out what things need change and improvement, a unified approach will bleed into every aspect of your business. With a strong acceptance of change as inevitable and a constant in the industry, your team can stay ahead of the curve regardless of what the space evolves into next.
Pathways to Improvement
You now understand the importance of development within your tech organization. So what steps can you take as a leader to set your team on the right progression path?
Training is a great place to start. One area that is simple to set up and easy to execute is a lunch and learn session. Choose a specific topic, create informative materials, and order some tasty food for your team to enjoy. Make sure the information is valuable to their role and progression arc.
Another training option is certification programs. If a technology professional on your team could benefit from becoming certified in a given area of development, then it’s important to put that opportunity in front of them. To gauge their interest in pursuing a certification, ask them directly during your 1:1s. Questions like “Is there anything else you need from me that will help you be successful in your job?” should be standard expectations for your regular check-ins.
Speaking engagements are another area where great personal and professional development can occur. If any member of your team is interested in speaking at a relevant training or conference, provide support and encouragement for these opportunities. Beyond the clear confidence these engagements can build, this will give members of your team a strong voice and comfort level interacting with the technology community.
No Pain, No Gain
Change is never simple and never easy. As the leader of your team, you may experience pushback when encouraging development and evolving processes. The process of stepping outside your comfort zone and doing things differently can feel very uncomfortable for many people.
To encourage progress in this area, start small. Ease your team into the idea of trying a different approach to achieve common goals. By taking this transformation slow, you can get some small team wins under your belt. These wins will build confidence among members of your team, giving them the momentum needed to step out further and embrace innovative new development concepts and project ideas.
The Final Reward
Through continued persistence, this development approach can deliver results. With a set mentality that your team will continue evolving, both personally and professionally, you will feel a sudden shift throughout your organization. People will begin bringing more innovative ideas to the table. If they notice something wrong, they will immediately point out the issue and address it.
These results will directly correlate with improved quality when it comes to your business’s technology. Inefficiencies will get addressed. Implementation speeds will increase. Processes will run more efficiently. And ultimately, you will see better technology outcomes tied directly to your company’s financial metrics.
Ultimately, empowering your employees to actively seek out a development path and embrace change will have a lasting impact on innovation results for your tech organization.
Contact Rev.io for More Tech Leadership Insight
By prioritizing these qualities, you can succeed in building an effective tech team that can do the work to help your business realize its technology vision and company culture.
At Rev.io, our culture is a critical factor in our success. The talented team members we bring in surpass a high bar to join us and then raise that bar even higher. By having these “bar raisers” on your team, your technology will be set up to strengthen well in the future.
Check back periodically for more insights from James in our Tech Leadership blog series! To keep the conversation going on our key tech leadership insights and Rev.io’s approach to building technology teams, contact us today.