Is Technology the Corporate Version of a "Miracle Drug"?

Over the years, I've seen countless discussions around what I'll call the "Pill vs. Personal Habit" controversy, and that is a complicated conversation. Clearly we cannot wish away cancer or other medical issues, even if we can influence them, with varying degrees of success, with lifestyle choices, but there is merit in looking past the prescription pad to see if there's more going on or additional options to improve our health and our lives.

I see a similar development in our tech-heavy world. Apple's trademark slogan "There's an app for that!?" encapsulates a world view that suggests we can find almost any solution through technology (and preferably through proprietary software that makes its developers multi-zillionaires), but I propose we're missing a crucial part of the conversation.

I identify as an "Early Adopter" when it comes to technology. I really get a rush from trying out new technology, whether it's a new software solution or a wearable or some cool techie kitchen gadget. I tend to be the person in my circles who people come to when they have questions about new technology, and in my professional life, I'm always looking for tech solutions to remove barriers that create inefficiencies and sometimes absolute misery in our workplaces. The ever-growing roster of potential technologies offers fertile grounds in which to hunt down solutions to those pain points, and the steep competition for market share among tech providers means that the pricing is often pretty attractive, too! Every professional conference I attend includes booths and sponsors from yet another entrant trying to convince me that this <insert tech solution here> will solve all my problems!

Despite my strong affinity for tech solutions, though, I'm concerned over the growing trend of relying almost solely on technology to fix our problems. Much like the person who demands an antibiotic for their child's viral illness or a pill for instant weight loss, organizations who don't look beyond the "magic pill" of technology are doing themselves a huge disservice. This is compounded by other challenges. There's a great CNBC article on this! Who's found themselves in scenario where the people who choose the technology are not always the ones doing the job for which the technology is intended nor necessarily savvy in the tech itself? How about "System Upgrades" that are really disastrously complicated changes that aren't well supported? After a couple of rounds of that, people tend to either passively or actively check out, which is bad for overall organizational effectiveness and employee engagement as a whole.

We need to remember to look at the big picture and fix the human behaviours and business processes that underlay our activity if we truly want sustainable, material improvement. This will also allow us to discern which solutions offer the best value value and let us get on with the business of, well, doing business!