Diversified Thinking & Bridging the Technological Gap

Technology is designed to make our lives better and easier, right? And yet technology, particularly in business, can create a great deal of challenges for you and your team. Whether you're working with a skill level gap or facing resistance to change, Jessica Rector suggests that diversified thinking and relationship building is the way to approach any scenario.

Jessica is the Salesforce Administrator for her company, Card-Monroe Corp. As a leader of technology for her team, she has sought to ensure the people behind the processes remain an integral part of the business' growth, rather than the technology taking the place of their valued team members.

Jessica covers a lot of ground in the podcast from an in-depth look at pursuing greatness to implementing technology to better your business. Here are the highlights!

• The Technology in Business: Don't focus on the software or technology that you're using for your business. Instead, focus on what you need to improve your business processes or customer service.

• Evaluating Technology: Never stop evaluating the tools that you have: the software, the equipment and the processes. All of these things need to be considered regularly to evolve with the needs of the business as well as the advancements of technology.

• A Catalyst for Change: Even though you may be the advocate for technology because you see the potential in what it can do, the people behind those processes mustn't be forgotten. To eliminate the fear of the impending Fourth Industrial Revolution, leaders can empower their team to be part of the change while also showing gratitude for their contributions.

• Don't Delay: Don't hide from technology. If you happen to be a leader who is also on the end of the spectrum that is less familiar with current machines and software, it's best to overcome that fear to be a thought leader and a catalyst for advancement for your company. Because technology changes everyday, we are all on the learning curve in one way or another.‍
• Disrupt Your Customers' Experience: You customers look to you for the best experience possible, and sometimes that means "disrupting" what they are used to in order to offer improvements and build greater trust. In many cases, that does include new technological additions or changes, from mobile apps to a better credit card processing system.
• Sharing is Caring: Talk to your customers about technology and the possibilities there are with making changes. Not only does that open up a dialogue, but it also positions you as the thought leader that they can trust. By learning about the options, the customers can then come to you and either request or make use of the technology when the time is right for them.
• Build a Culture of Relationships: If your technology is not fostering the relationships that make your business thrive, then it may not be wise to proceed. Your people and the technology need to by in sync. A comparison Jessica uses is when you download an app on your phone to make your experience better, but the result actually causes a new complication. That's the adverse effect that you're looking to avoid.
• Technology Breaks: We can't fully rely on technology to lead the company for us. Again, the people are what manage and facilitate the tools we choose. Technology breaks sometimes! And when it's running full force, we also need to make sure that our team is the power behind whatever tools are being used. That requires thorough training that's empowering for your team members and involves them in the process.