Reduce your technological gradient: hire a geek

An article in British daily The Guardian entitled “Technology law will soon be reshaped by people who don’t use email” discusses the problem of judges’ lack of knowledge about technology, given that they will be making important decisions about the future of the sector.

This is a complex issue. We cannot expect judges to be experts in everything, but from the point of view of society, which will be affected by his or her decisions, it is obvious that it is better for everybody if he or she is able to understand the impact of those decisions. The question is even more concerning if, as is the case in Spain, any training given to judges in courses aimed at improving their knowledge in this regard is in the hands of lobbies and pressure groups.

If this is such an important subject, then surely as broad an outlook as possible would be desired: for example, what happens in a company when the people who take the decisions lack the technological know how to understand the needs and wishes of an ever-large proportion of society?

Technology is an increasingly important factor for consumers and thus, for a large number of industries. In the motor sector, for example, where the criteria that used to apply when thinking about buying a car, such as gas consumption, styling, or options, are now being matched—in an environment where younger buyers increasingly care less about owning a car—by questions related to technology, connectivity or the availability of apps.

If an automobile becomes a technological purchase, comparable to a computer, then car manufacturers need to think much more about R+D, marketing, and the sales process. They may even want to take into account the need for sales teams to be up to speed on what is going on in technology if they want to capture the attention of would-be buyers. Some commentators have even noted that price is less of a factor: after all, when we go to buy a computer or other hi-tech device, we don’t haggle to get the best deal.

The geek factor ends up impacting on us all. How does an industry respond when a growing number of people in society decide that technology is the factor that defines their purchases?

One thing is true: those companies able to understand and internalize this will take the lead. We are talking about something here that I call the technological gradient: as the differential between society’s appreciation of new technology and that of the decision makers in a business increases, the business fails to keep up with new developments, which not only affects its products, but also aspects such as marketing, sales strategies, and even customer relations. If in a given industry we take the competitor who has the greatest affinity for technology or with the sector of society for whom technology is important, then we will find people in the company who are influencing that affinity for technology.

If we think about it, the technological gradient is as important a factor as diversity: it seems clear that companies whose workforces and boards reflect diversity are able to generate innovative, flexible, and proactive cultures. Perhaps the time has come to take into account factors beyond gender and race in thinking about diversity, and that business need to be looking for people with an affinity for technology and who understand the impact it is making and will continue to make.

In many ways, affirmative action policies aimed at increasing the number of women and minorities in business will need to adapt to actively look for geeks to help reduce the technological gradient between the company and the rest of society. We are wrong to think that this is simply a matter of demographics: my experience as a teacher shows me that young people, the supposed “digital natives” are not necessarily particularly proactive or more knowledgeable about technology.

Technological affinity is an increasingly important factor in our society. And if you want to reduce your technological gradient, aside from improving your training programs, you are going to have to hire some geeks.

(En español, aquí)