International Process and Performance Institute

Kahlil Gibran once said: "The obvious is that which is never seen until someone expresses it simply."  I have time and again experienced this phenomenon in my own life... sometimes to the point of embarassment!  I'm not quite sure expressing something simply is precisely what is called for, rather it seems to be a matter of adjusting your perspective.  This may be partially due to the fact that "simply" is such a subjective term.  Time and again when faced with an obvious problem I can find myself stuck until I consider it from a different angle.  We all fall into a sort of short-sightedness or tunnel vision from time to time.

One of the most pervasive forms of this tunnel vision I've seen in recent years is when dealing with technology.  I've met countless IT managers and execs that are completely convinced any problem can be solved with a new server, or a new program cooked up and thrown on the corporate intranet.  While there are a multitude of problems that can be addressed in such a fashion, we often fail to realize that we've cornered ourselves into thinking in a limited fashion.  I'm guilty of it myself. 

I have an application on my iPhone called Remote.  It's a small program from Apple that allows you to control iTunes on a computer via your iPhone wirelessly.  I downloaded the app with all of the enthusiasm of a chimp finding a shiny object.  I tried it out and was impressed with how well it worked.  Now I can control my music from my iPhone!  That's exciting right!?  Well, after a few minutes I can see through the shinyness and I realize it's far easier for me to actually USE the computer I'm sitting at to control the music, rather than reaching for my phone. This may be a bit of a silly example, but ask yourself how many times you've spent ten minutes looking for your remote control rather than walking over to your TV.  These little behaviors are symptoms of us ignoring the real problem because we have a solution.

Unfortunately, the problem with that mentality reaches much further.  There are a great deal of near-fanatical behaviors that go on in the IT industry, and it can exist at every level.   Have you ever stumbled into a Windows vs. Apple "debate?"  Our favourite hardware, programming languages, and software companies can drastically shift the way we attack a given problem.

It's important to keep in mind that technology is never an answer in and of itself.  Far too often it acts as the blinders we put on ourselves, or a stop-gap for a more pervasive problem.  I've come up with a quick list to help force myself to make better decisions in technology implementation, and I wanted to share that with you and see what you think.

1. Stop and think: what is the problem, and where does it fit in the bigger picture of things?
2. What would help the PERSON dealing with this problem? (possible solution)
3. Is the solution simple for the PERSON to act on?
4. Is the solution reliable for the PERSON to use?
5. What is valuable about the solution?
6. Can I make this any easier?

I usually go back to step #2 several times because I'm unsatisfied with my answers to the latter questions.  This helps me challenge myself not only in providing a solution, but in understanding the problem and it's larger implications as well. This has worked well for me, and I hope to keep refining the method.

I'm going to endeavour to keep this list in mind as we build the community here.  We are using some new technologies and some old.  I have a blast building these systems, but I am accutely aware that they are only valuable as a conduit for the people and ideas they connect. 

As we grow, I intend to continually evaluate what we're doing here on the website, in classes, and the online training.  I hope to continue to simplify what we bring to all of our members, and focus on enhancing the value of the information and collaboration.  

If you ever want to share your perspective, or have a question or problem anywhere on ipapi.org, send me a message.