Thinking Architecturally

Chapter 5. Introducing Technologies

Once you’ve chosen a new technology, it is time to bring it into your organization. While you might have thought choosing a technology was the hard part, adopting it can be even more challenging.

Mitigating Change

Change is hard, and habits are hard to break. Have you ever laminated your New Year’s Resolutions? It makes them far easier to reuse the following year. As challenging as it is to exercise more or eat better, it can be even more difficult to convince a whole organization to adopt any changes.

Change is also hard to maintain. We inevitably get worse before we get better and during what Seth Godin refers to as the dip it is very tempting to backslide. Consider a new exercise regime. After a lengthy layoff, that first trip to the gym is going to leave you feeling pretty sore. It is very tempting to just put your feet up on the couch and enjoy a recovery shake. But if you push through the discomfort and continue exercising, the soreness abates. Eventually your body hurts when you don’t go for a bike ride or spend some quality time in the weight room.

The same phenomena exists in an organization. Introducing something new will inevitably lead to a period of discomfort. Some fear their job will be fundamentally changed or even eliminated. Others are worried their hardearned expertise will no longer be valued. Still others won’t be happy with the process or the outcome and will reject the new thing on principle. Many people will eventually ...