Technology is accelerating at a pace that is hard for many of us to comprehend. Moore’s Law states that the number of transistors on a chip and the processing speed of computers will both double roughly every year to year and a half. That has been a reliable prediction since the observation in the 1970’s. As computers continue to evolve and accelerate, the human brain, our “processor”, does not. Its processing speed has remained on a reasonably level track for tens of thousands of years.
Several years ago, while working in an operations role, our team looked at technology in our organization with a view to creating digital optimization. Specifically, we had set out to define our CRM, ERP, IT solutions, E Commerce, Accounting and Development needs. I initially asked my team to figure out what we need to make sure all of those systems can be integrated and are optimized. During the first project meeting it became apparent that I had asked the wrong question. As a result of my poor choice of phraseology, the team situated the estimate to look at what we had in place at the time, and how they could integrate those systems for maximum effect.
More recently, in my last role, we went through a cycle of digital transformation in order to ensure the corporation was being best-managed with the most up to date and relevant information at hand. We had the foresight to recognize that there was sufficient impetus to the requirement to build it into our strategic plan. We created a series of project plans and did everything from migrating all functions the cloud to integrating all departments into an ERP. We were able to efficiently predict the need and the benefit. What we weren’t able to predict was the rise of artificial intelligence. How will this new technology enable the corporation in the future? How will it harness the data points created from the digital transformation and build on them to increase the decision making abilities of the management team and clients they support? The space continues to evolve and asking the right questions to align management systems and corporate aptitude will be key to success.
As we move into this new realm of hyper fast computing and universal access to internet, we need to learn to harness the power this provides. A number of years ago I was lucky to hear #PeterDiamandis speak on exponential technology while attending Mackay CEO forum’s Edge Summit. At the time he pointed to Moore’s law and the fact that within a few short years, individual laptops will harness the same processing power as the human brain. Not long after that, a laptop will have the same computing power as the entire human race. Network access will soon wrap the entire world in a multi-layer satellite network making information truly universally accessible like never before to the entire human race.
With the wealth of information out there becoming rapidly more accessible, Diamandis spoke of the requirement to learn to ask better questions. The systems we utilize will continue to increase in power, but as Diamandis pointed out, if we don’t learn to ask better questions, we will not be able to harness the power with maximum effect. Certainly with the advent of AI like Chat GPT our role as the human interface in the process will be tied to our ability to ask the best questions in order to embrace this new technology.
The technology we use in all of the processes in the workplace, both internally and externally facing, is something we need to ensure is keeping pace with the evolving tech landscape. When defining your own digital transformation, don’t limit yourself by asking an overly simplified question about how to best use the tools you have today. Instead open yourself to examining what you really needed to do, which is to ensure you are taking the steps now to embrace exponential pace of change in technology.
What you need to consider as the world changes is not framed only in the technology and capabilities you have today, but also what you will need tomorrow and strategically in the future. How will you be a disruptor in your delivery model, while ensuring that your customers receive a top-quality experience, supported by systems and people using the most relevant technology? If you aren’t making these kind of decisions now, you should be aware your competitors likely are, and in the not too distant future you may find yourself becoming irrelevant in your field.
Take the time now to look at the best solution for the future in order to enable your organization to do all the things you need to do now, as well as anything you may need to do in the future. In your examination, don’t situate your estimate and instead be free to examine the problem without being tied to the current systems you have in place.
So what’s the lesson here? In Order to Embrace Exponential Change: Ask Better Questions
That technology is accelerating is a fact we cannot ignore. We need to take the steps today to examine our systems and delivery model and ensure that we are doing the right things to remain a relevant force in the landscape of exponential change, and in the way we provide education. It’s possible that after the study is complete the conclusions will find that the systems we use now are the best for our future growth, but perhaps they are not. The best thing we can do now to prepare for the coming changes to tech is to ask the very best questions we can about it, without any limitations imposed.
I love it.... Camosun's tagline is 'The World Changes Fast. Change Faster'