Don’t change your systems until you are willing to change your habits

Introducing new technology into any business can be incredibly exciting. Promises of increased efficiency, greater communication and sustained competitive advantage normally accompany any sales pitch when it comes to the latest software or game changing piece of hardware. Implementing new technology into any business however is a little more complicated than upgrading to the latest iPhone or buying that new 70 inch Samsung TV.

The biggest piece is not the promise of all it can do for you, but that you have culture of change in your business that can utilize it. Having just implemented a new practice management system in our company, I can attest that the biggest hurdle was not understanding the enhancements, but the habits that needed to change to utilize them successfully. My experience is that all software companies tend to over promise and under deliver, however on reflection, was that really the problem? Was it the new system couldn’t do what we had asked for? Or were we just trying to use it in the same way as our old system?

We’ve all purchased software we never use, not because we didn’t think it could help us develop our business, but because we didn’t take the time to change our work habits for it to add the value it promised. Software isn’t the only culprit either. Putting a video conferencing unit on the wall, for example, will impress passers-by, but if no one takes the time to learn how to use it and effectively integrate it into their working life, it might as well as be that 70 inch Samsung TV (at least you could watch the Melbourne Cup on it!) Develop a culture of change before you make that investment in new technology, otherwise your rate of return will be lower than your savings account.

This article was featured in the November issue of Hunter Business Review Magazine.