Approaching Accelerating Change

Jacqueline Harris, CITO, The Philadelphia Parking Authority, Philadelphia, PA

Jacqueline Harris, CITO, The Philadelphia Parking Authority, Philadelphia, PA

Countless studies have confirmed theexponential growth pattern of technology, giving the scientificterm “accelerating change” a formal label naming the battleevery CIO manages daily. As the S-curve of technical disruptors explode onto the scene, gain industry momentum, reach maturity, and then dissipate, or more commonly, reach their unsupported end of life, what’s going on in the I.T. department?How is CIO strategy holding up under the unrelenting ripple effects of “exponentially accelerating change”?Are there correlated yet practical considerationsin taming the beast?

A simple, high-level perspectivemay be useful. Three CIO-critical realities provide a convenient framework for navigating today’s uncharted territory. Coming to terms with the age of accelerated change, a determination to outsmart technical debt, and an appreciation for the akin mortal realitiesof executives, staff, and customers coping with choice overload, change resistance, and change fatigue may amount to three constructive (and consoling) guiding principles.Simply put,

· Change is the only constant.You will not recognize your five-year plan five years from now.

· This is not your father’s technical debt.Accelerated change plus technical debt equals dangerously increased business risk.

· CIOs aren’t the only humans to appreciatethe satisfaction of a project plateauevery once in a while.

With over 2300 companies showcasing new technology products at CES 2022, last year’s emerging technologies are already yesterday’s news.Data center components, user productivity hardware and software, development environments, security tools, and even staffing choices continue to advance in a state of near-constant innovation.Even the rate of change is changing – challenging CIOs and technologists on every level.Merely accepting these hyper-inflated change conditions is an excellent first step. Considering tiny, manageable subsets of change, well-suited for the org also serves to keep all stakeholders in game shape. Be “ok” with being a“late adopter,” giving bleeding-edge innovators time to iron out the kinks or become acquired by the giant tech company you’realready using successfully. Keep a team meeting on the calendar for your staff to round-robin new pet technologyinterests. When R & D is not in your budget, stay ahead of trends by making it a team effort.

"Considering tiny, manageable subsets of change, well-suited for the org also serves to keep all stakeholders in game shape."

As the pace of tech progress picks up speed, “grandfathered” systems will eventually be unable to skip a generation. With increasingly complicated regulatory and compliance requirements coupled with consumer expectations, companies lugging legacy systems will pay dearly, if not the ultimate price. Compile a list of business units or functions in order of least dependence on the legacy system and, if possible, pilot a proof-of-conceptsolution using an emerging technology. Approach technical debt with the personal debt “snowball” reduction mindset –conquer some of the smaller, independent units first to gain mastery, company acclimatization, and totemporarily bask inthe bolstering effects of feeling accomplished. A continualphased approach to reducing technical debt will positively impact the organization at every level.

Finally, leverage business leaders as allies. Even as they are tirelesslyclamoring for the latest and greatest, enlist them. Have them sit in on vendor meetings for pricing and gap remediation requirements. Pose what-if security questions and ask for department staff volunteers to pilot and report on unexpected problems or “inelegance” experiences. In engaging the business units, you have fortuitously formed a change fatigue support group as drilling down into the eventual “messy middle” produces tech-operations savvy colleagues eager for strategic, achievable progress.