Technology: does your organization (or you) consider it an expenditure or an investment? How we label technology has a significant impact as it underscores assumptions that affect organizations’ efficacy in its internal and audience facing technology work.
If an organization is, for lack of a better term, a technology Luddite, in orther words not using technologies available and paid for at their most effective — blaming the technology, not investing in training, and avoiding anything “new,” technology expenditures are a cost not an opportunity. To create a digitally-openminded (but not easily duped) institution, training and research in the space need to be part of the Corporate Culture. Something most often lead from the top, but also something that takes time to change (usually 1 – 3 years).
As organization’s assemble technology infrastructure, a mind to operations AND engagement must be front and center. Public wifi needs to be firewalled from operational tech. Investments must be maintained with planning, as ‘falling behind’ in the tech space opens up significant security and privacy leakage — and in its worst moments, complete loss of data.
And, just because something is “in” doesn’t mean it is “right” or “right for you.” For example, pushing EVERYTHING to the cloud creates a significant security issues, especially if things are “free” (nothing in tech is free).
So, how does one USE technology efficiently and effectively to ENACT mission by ENGAGING stakeholders? It is likely much more complicated than anyone ever wants to think about.