I listened to so many examples of IT solutions and innovative technologies implemented at corporate and societal levels that have improved the economy and created jobs. These are valid and good things. Just as quickly, however, presenter after presenter stated that organizations can't "rest on their laurels" and must continue to innovate and change. They described the challenges on moving the bar forward and it became evidently clear to me that the biggest challenge organizations are facing with IT advancement as an economic efficiency tool is that most organizations have not figured out how to use the technology to communicate effectively with the very stakeholders who will ensure success or failure with proposed progress and advancement.
McLuhan was right when he stated that the medium is the message - if the true message is not effective enough to render the medium nothing more than a tool. What I mean is that technology has actually gotten in the way of the purpose or meaning of the message with people more intrigued with the format of the message itself, Manifested over and over, organization to organization and you create a society of people who have missed the point. Instead of technology making it easier it has created challenges that face to face communications never had to deal with.
The other thing I heard over and over is that Leadership has been and continues to be a serious issue - not only for IT advancement but in general as we try and move North American societies and economies forward.
Well no kidding. That's been our issue for years and continues to be my preoccupation. Good leaders aren't invented and can't be created with a good content programmer. We need people who understand the role of technology and more importantly the role of people in reaching our goals and opportunities.
"The purpose of technology is neither to minimize labor nor to maximize profits. It is to serve and preserve the dignity and well-being of humanity."
–Joseph Pearce, Small is Still Beautiful: Economics as if Families Mattered (ISI Books: 2006), p. 75
Pearce gets it. technology is there to help not lead. We need people to do that. People who can still look each other in the eye when speaking and creating and leading.
The search continues...
