From how we shop to how we communicate, technology has touched and reshaped every aspect of our lives. Perhaps this is the most apparent in the world of television. A fair bit of my childhood was spent anxiously awaiting the newest episode of MacGyver, and the 10-year-old version of me would marvel at the advent of streaming media and having all my favorite shows available on-demand at my fingertips (or, sometimes even through voice control)!

The transition to streaming media moved with incredible speed (seemingly quicker than contestants being eliminated in Squid Game) and enabled clear product benefits for media companies and for the audience. With the vast library of content, simplified distribution model, and a direct audience relationship, technology enabled new frontiers which were not at all possible in the “rabbit-ear antenna” era.

Static-Free: How Technology Helps Teams

More crucial, yet often overlooked, is how technology adoption benefits an organization’s team members and their work through:

Productivity and Efficiency – Enhancing workflows and leveraging automation to allow focus on other valuable work.

Communication and Collaboration – Creating new channels for team interaction and sharing knowledge to eliminate departmental silos. Supporting remote and hybrid work models.

Flexibility and Innovation – Offering tools for fast feedback loops to enable iterative improvement and innovation.

We Interrupt This Program…

Although digital and AI transformations provide significant benefits, they may also pose major challenges. Team members’ comfort with technology may vary, roles might change as tools streamline tasks, individuals could face digital overload from constant online presence, and ongoing training or support may be needed.

Organizational leaders aiming to adopt and implement a technology-based transformation have various options to guide their teams into the digital future, but not all approaches are equally successful. One could take a cue from Cliff from Cheers, understanding the possible gains, but lamenting the potential misfortune, and ultimately doing nothing. Or, they can pursue a grand ambition like George from Seinfeld, convinced they can do everything but eventually spiral into a spectacular (humorous) meltdown. But a better approach, as Colonel Hannibal from another childhood favorite show would say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Fast-Forward Your Strategy

Technology offers significant benefits from both a product or service standpoint and for the individuals within the organization. Establishing strong support mechanisms for the team is essential for achieving success. Without a focus on people, the intended benefits of technology could turn into drawbacks; low engagement and adoption rates, tools that need extensive troubleshooting, or the development of non-intuitive tools that require even more time and budget.

Some teams might benefit from a phased implementation approach, peer learning programs, or regular feedback mechanisms — it all depends. Every organization is distinct and warrants a tailored, thoughtful strategy for successful digital transformation.

But developing a successful technology plan can be complex. As in an episode of Survivor, alliances can help. In this case, third-party supports, such as Ryelle, offer extensive skills and an external perspective, helping create an organization’s best A-Team through a human-centric approach for technology adoption.

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Darryl Lee is a seasoned technology and business leader, working with organizations ranging from non-profits and start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. He credits MacGyver for nurturing his love of problem-solving.