Change has a way of stimulating
emotional responses in people and organizations. Change can be a frightening thing for some
people or and exhilarating experience for others. Regardless of the feelings it evokes, change
can be dangerous, or even fatal, if not properly managed. Integrating technology into an organization
can be an uneasy process due to the rapid rate at which devices and software
becomes obsolete. To guard against
things like change for change sake by purchasing the latest, flashiest devices or
software, a leader should be identified.
This leader should be prepared to not only manage the changes in
technology within the organization, but also the affects of the changing
processes and tools which come with that change. In other word, a technology leader is a
person who manages both the physical and emotional changes within the
organization related to the integration of new technologies and
applications. Max Seeker, a fictional
technology team leader created by Hall (2008), represents such a leader. Max Seeker finds himself in a situation where
technical issues are compounded by an unproductive staff problem solving which
leave him frustrated, worried, and seeking solutions to his problems. Max seeks the help of three college
professors representative of both extremes of the leadership spectrum and the
ideal blend of both, the Sage, the Sensei, and the Oracle.
Hall’s depiction of a personal journey
for knowledge is a good point to be made for anyone faced with taking on a
leadership role. Learning about
differing styles and perceptions of leaders can be a great advantage in decision
making and personnel management. A well
known name in leadership training, Steven Covey, developed seven principles for
leaders which seem to have a universality to be adapted across a broad spectrum
of leadership opportunities. These
principles seem to focus primarily on planning.
Covey (2004) says to “Begin with the end in mind” when approaching a
leadership challenge. This would seem to
tie well with leading technology changes.
With the constant stream of new and flashy technological innovations,
organizations could get caught up in the hype of the promises of unproven merchandise,
leaving them with buyer’s remorse after investing in the product. Picciano (2011) supports the importance of
poor planning as “One of the major issues impeding the establishment of
successful technology programs in schools.”
A technology plan is like a roadmap that the organization uses to
implement its program. It provides
direction and flexibility to pick alternate routes as needed to reach the
organizations goals.
References
Covey, S. R. (2004). The seven habits of highly effective people:
Restoring the character ethic. New
York
Hall, D., & International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). The
technology director's guide to leadership: The power of great questions. Eugene
Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for
technology. Upper
Saddle River
Change is definitely something that produces a ton of emotions. I think this is true for all involved. A sense of nervousness encounters everyone, but more tenured employees may be more hesitant about the change whereas a younger employee may be excited and ready for the challenge. The tenured employee may be afraid that with the changing environment, they may no longer be the expert in their field. To me, this isn't exactly so. They are still the expert in their knowledge, just the way things are completed would be different. I hear those things a lot at my job. We are going through many changes currently. We have a couple of employees that have been there for over 20 years. No matter what technology change we throw at them, the 20+ years of knowledge that they hold is remarkable and no one can take that away from them. So this is why having a plan of action is so important. Covey is exactly right with beginning with the end in mind. Companies should focus on where they want to be and how to maintain their valuable employees through the changes.
ReplyDeleteBrittoney,
DeleteThanks for your feedback. One thing that came to mind as I read it was that we should be cautious of the exuberance of the new or younger employee. Sometimes, the knowledge and experience that comes with the tenured employees can be dismissed as out of date and obsolete. As leaders, we should plan the best ways to leverage that experience in a way that synergizes the old with the new.
Dale,
ReplyDeleteThanks.
You bring a lot to the table with your post. I would like to point out that your comments concerning planning are right on the money. The concept of backwards planning with which you are likely familiar is readily applicable to education as well. When we generate plans for our courses, teachers must have an idea what path they are taking to get their students to the goal. This is best achieved when we look at the course objectives through the lens of the summative assessment.
At the same rate, we need to know where we are headed with technology be it hardware or software, long before we decide to use it. If we keep in mind that paper and pencil is also technology, we will be more apt to use the technology that matches the objectives of the course.
Matt Ozolnieks