Simple tricks to build your confidence in technology
/Confidence, they say, is the degree to which you think and "feel" your actions will achieve positive results.
If you’re intimate with the inner workings of a piece of technology, you are well set to assess your confidence in how it works.
But what good is that for the 95% of the population do NOT work in tech?
Through a combination of social proof and peer pressure, most of us have come to trust technology for many day-to-day activities—staying in touch with friends and family, navigating cars, even managing finances. But if you’re using technology in your business, the stakes are higher and the technology more complex. How can you know when to trust that transactions will be managed accurately, that data will be held securely, and that some hidden unknown won’t sky-rocket your costs?
I wrote Trusting Technology to go deep in this topic. Here’s a taste of the principles that I know work well:
Cultivate your opinion on the potential for tech in your business by focusing on the outcome. Ignoring the technology at the outset removes a whole mess of complexity when formulating strategy.
Understand what your competitors are doing, and more importantly what’s happening in other industries. What outcome did they achieve that is of value to you? If someone else has made this work, building on their success will reduce your risk.
Use the simplest solution that meets your needs.
Regularly consult with advisors you can trust—experts in technology adoption with no vested interest in convincing you to pick the latest and greatest. Beware the tech visionary who’s seeking another guinea pig.
Build confidence by executing on minimalist change and assess results in each small increment.
Remember that technology isn’t smart enough to make mistakes—it’s only smart enough to do exactly what you tell it to do. How much do you know about what your tech has been told to do?
Test your trust in technology
Are you comfortable with your vision for technology in your business?
Are your solutions simple enough?
Do you trust your advisors to simplify the complex?
How have you cultivated your trust in the past? What would you change?
Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order your copy here.