Sunday 26 May 2013

The Human Element of IT

Today, we are so used to a virtualized world that the whole of IT somehow has forgotten the human element of IT.
Processes, tools and technology are all great aids to bring about transformation of IT and business outcomes. However, the simple fact that human beings are instrumental in making things happen is getting lost somewhere in our race to be the fastest.
Value to human beings as well as their own importance is losing its shine because, we have become more commoditized.

It is time we re-examine this, and give the people due recognition and empathy.
Photo credit: iStock
So where do we start?
1. Acknowledge people as real assets
Leadership has always been associated with people who lead from the front and enable followers to join hands and make things a reality. There are ample instances in history to confirm that many ordinary people have delivered extraordinary results because of their vision and dedication. Within organizations, human resource management has been entrusted to retain the talent pool amid "churn" or personnel turnover.
2. Use the power of collaboration
Even with the sophisticated technology in place, considerable work needs to be done by professionals coordinating across geographies and make technology work for IT. Strong collaboration among single-minded people with a purpose has huge benefits to the organization and can accomplish great goals.
3. Recognize contributions
As an organization, we must define specific tasks on regular basis and roll all of them up to deliver superior service to the end user or customer. Recognizing individual contributions by employees can make the Total Customer Experience (TCE) a memorable one. This will gain their commitment to work with interest and engagement to achieve big things.
4. Attitude makes the difference
It has been said that attitude measures one's altitude. Organizations are spending considerable time and effort to hire the candidates with the right attitude so that they contribute to the value chain and make a difference.
5. Help people win and enjoy the synergy
The greatest of accomplishments in this world have been possible because of the collective efforts of people to win together for higher purpose. Help them understand how the win will create a difference for each one of them and for the organization at large. This helps to gain synergy and total participation.

There is so much of history that tells us that with the power of people and their synergy, we have made a world of difference. So let’s not forget the human element of IT.
After all, the human being is the most fascinating creature in this whole universe!

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