200 Words: Following Trends

Trends come and go. Fashion has taught us that for sure. Should have held on to those Tom Cruise Top Gun aviators – I had to buy a new pair 🙂

But trends tend to not improve functionality. A new tool or new version of a system rarely improves efficiency. Think about the last few versions of Microsoft Office or even the new IPad. The functions maybe more convenient, but for most it’s likely going to be negligible improvements.

As you consider technology to drive efficiency, make sure you have changed the environment to leverage technology upgrades to the fullest e.g. If your team all uses skype or video chat already, then maybe the iPhone 4 or iPad 2 is a good idea, as you could face to face anywhere, not just in an office. But if your not video chatting…

Pull that thinking to your technology for your operations, talent and project management. We find that many companies don’t use mist of their systems tools, but they are quick to update or switch.

Don’t amplify the trend of under utilizing a system and then upgrading…try using the system first 🙂