Frank Gartland Of Skillable On The Digital Divide and Why & How We Should Close It
An Interview With Monica Sanders
“Pursue iteration.” We’ve been in the “age of agile” for a long time, but in the 90s, fast change wasn’t as much in vogue. The first book I read about Kaizen was a big deal. It was called “Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success,” written by Masaaki Imai. It was written in the mid-1980s, but a friend gave it to me in the early 2000s. My hope is that people view me as a catalyst for positive change. Embracing change is the best way to minimize crises and reduce the negative impact caused by fear.
Digital inequality reinforces existing social disparities, demanding considerable efforts to acknowledge and address this pressing issue. In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders, policymakers, think tanks and experts on this topic to share their insights and stories about “How Companies and Policymakers Are Taking Action and Can Further Contribute to Closing the Digital Divide.” As part of this series, I had the pleasure to interview Frank Gartland, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Skillable.
As Chief Product & Technology Officer for Skillable, Frank Gartland oversees the transformation of training to skilling through challenge-centric learning (read his whitepaper!), hands-on skill development and performance-based validation. Frank challenges teams, partners and customers to create better methods to scale learning. He thrives on helping people reach their potential and loves building businesses that enable people to make a positive impact.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I’m blessed with an incredible family. My dad constantly challenged us to do better, while my mom is a world-class encourager. My hometown in northern Indiana was a great place to grow up, and I was fortunate to have some great teachers, coaches, and family friends who took the time to invest in me. I’m very thankful.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Choosing one book is tough. While Lencioni has probably had the most professional influence on me, the book that comes to mind is “Lincoln on Leadership” by Don Phillips. Lincoln’s practical approaches to leadership — things like “get out of the office and circulate with the troops,” “Lead by being led” and “Influence people through conversation and storytelling” are timeless. Over 160 years old but amazingly relevant. That book has influenced much of who I want to be personally and professionally.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
I have a long-time mentor who has taught me the value of pondering great quotes made by the great people of history. Along this line, one of my favorites is: “Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think,” by Martin Luther King, Jr. In my early years, I was prideful about how quickly I could react or coerce my team to react. As I experienced the results of this behavior, I learned that reacting is often reckless. I’ve found that when I say things like, “If you just slowed down, you’d go so much faster,” the results are almost always more long-lasting.
Ok, thank you. Now let’s move to the main focus of our interview. How would you define the Digital Divide? Can you explain or give an example?
Put simply, the “Digital Divide” defines the gap between people and cultures with access to all the information collected throughout history through a connected device and those without access. I believe too few people recognize how massive this challenge has become and how destructive it can be to equality and “modern society.” When I was with Microsoft, I spent time in Africa and Colombia, working with groups to better understand this problem. I’ve spent significant time in Palestine and Jordan, where this reality is much more apparent than where many of us live. Being in these wonderful places and having the opportunity to engage with so many amazing kids who have almost no access to a computer had a profound impact on me.
Can you tell our readers a bit about your experience working with initiatives to close the digital divide? Can you share a story with us?
When I ran Microsoft Virtual Academy, a young African man sent us a special heartfelt note. Just over a year before, he had been living in a box. His daily goal was to scrape together enough money to buy food and have enough left over to spend time in a local internet café where he would watch the learning experiences we produced from our studios in Redmond and other Microsoft offices worldwide. Through that training, he obtained a few certifications. He was writing to tell us that Microsoft had just hired him for a tech support job. When my online communities manager saw it, he gathered the whole team and read it aloud. That was the moment I recognized we were doing something special. It was an emotional moment I don’t think we will forget.
This may be obvious to you, but it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you articulate to our readers a few reasons why it is so important to create change in this area?
Every community on Earth needs more people willing and able to solve problems. Every person has extraordinary potential. The more a person unlocks their potential, the more they uniquely contribute to their family and community. The more people learn, the more confident they become. As a person believes in their ability to do something well, they are more likely to do it and expand their overall capability. Growing a community’s “collective capability” is the only way to solve many of our most dire challenges. There are very few things as important as this.
What specific actions has your company or organization taken to address the digital divide, and how do you ensure that your efforts are making a positive impact in the communities you serve?
Regarding technical, “hands-on keyboard” skills, it’s clear that true mastery cannot occur without hands-on access to the system, application, or service you’re trying to learn. We provide that access. Whether a person is using a tricked-out gaming system in their parent’s basement, taking lunch in their cubicle, or sitting in an internet café on the wrong side of the proverbial tracks, when they’re experiencing a Skillable hands-on lab, it’s an equal playing field. We love our role. Helping people “learn while doing” and earning confidence through the outcomes of their performance is where we want to be.
What are some of the challenges that individuals or communities face when trying to bridge the digital divide?
To use a metaphor, farmers who couldn’t afford a combine struggled mightily to compete. Children with internet access to help them learn and research have an incredible advantage. The same is true of people in every phase of life. Whether a person wants a career change or to figure out where to have a comfortable retirement, if they don’t have reliable internet access, they will likely struggle more than those who do.
What role do you see technology companies playing in closing the digital divide, and what steps can they take to ensure that their products and services are accessible to all?
Humanity is only human with people helping people. The Digital Divide is a technical problem that has a solution. People with the technology and the skills must consider and serve those who don’t. For example, product teams can invest in cycles to ensure their applications work adequately in lower bandwidth regions. The more we recognize that millions of deserving people may not be a part of the “audiences have fast internet,” the more likely we are to make decisions that serve our business and our global community.
Because of investment coming from the federal government, we have funding for great access to infrastructure and digital skills training. In your view, what other policy changes are needed to address the digital divide? How can companies and policymakers work together to implement these changes?
Having access to reliable internet has reached the position of “inalienable right.” I’m not pushing free WiFi onto the same stage as clean water, but internet access is required if we’re serious about equality and opportunity. Dozens of major cities around the world provide free WiFi. The technology is available, best practices are established, and people know how to do it. We just need to make it a priority and get it done.
This is the signature question we ask in most of our interviews. What are your “4 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . “You’re capable of things you haven’t yet imagined.” When I left Purdue, I valued things that weren’t valuable and assumed I wasn’t capable or worthy of the things I now hold most dear. Making a choice to believe you have a purpose and that you really, truly matter — even when you don’t “feel” like that’s true — is the right choice. If you’re reading this right now, I want you to know that you are priceless. Go get it.
2 . “If you just slowed down, you’d go so much faster.” Taking serious time to think (and pray) before you “just do” makes all the difference.
3 . “Pursue iteration.” We’ve been in the “age of agile” for a long time, but in the 90s, fast change wasn’t as much in vogue. The first book I read about Kaizen was a big deal. It was called “Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success,” written by Masaaki Imai. It was written in the mid-1980s, but a friend gave it to me in the early 2000s. My hope is that people view me as a catalyst for positive change. Embracing change is the best way to minimize crises and reduce the negative impact caused by fear.
4 . “People want to be noticed, but not everyone wants to be noticed the same way.” When I started managing people in my mid-20s, I assumed everyone was motivated by the same things that motivated me. As an uber-competitive person, I thought friendly competition was a universally fantastic idea. As my team members started growing, learning, and doing things they never thought possible, I soon realized that rewards and recognition are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Building genuine relationships and getting to know your team is critical to helping them learn the skills that will take them where they want to go, versus where you think you need them to go.
What role can individuals play in closing the digital divide, and what steps can they take to support these efforts?
As individuals, we can care. Choosing to care is choosing to notice, collaborate, and having a voice.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fgartland/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
