In the latest episode of MetaPod, host Ron Crabtree and guest Alan Willett, Co-founder and Chief Engineer at Exceptional Difference, discuss two critical challenges facing organizations today: the wisdom gap and technical debt. These concepts are crucial for any organization looking to stay competitive in a world demanding constant innovation and efficiency.
The wisdom gap refers to the growing divide between experienced workers, often those who have been in the industry for over 15 years, and newer employees with less than five years of experience. As the experienced workforce nears retirement, many organizations are finding they lack individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead projects from concept to completion. Alan emphasizes that while technology often gets the blame for delayed product launches, the real bottleneck is often a lack of understanding of the entire system, from politics to process integration.
Alan uses examples from his global consulting experience, including work in industries like automotive and energy, to explain how the wisdom gap manifests. One key issue is younger employees, who could potentially fill these roles, are not being given the responsibility they need to grow. Alan calls for organizations to address this by mentoring younger employees and preparing them to lead. He encourages businesses to give these employees critical responsibilities and provide them with experienced mentors who can guide them through the complexities of innovation.
Another major topic Alan and Ron cover is technical debt, a concept describing the accumulation of outdated systems and inefficient processes that slow down an organization’s progress, much like carrying lead weights behind a sports car. Organizations often find themselves stuck with years of accumulated shortcuts and outdated practices, which hinder their ability to innovate and keep up with competitors.
When diagnosing technical debt, Alan suggests organizations ask themselves one simple but effective question: “Do you feel like you’re going slower than before?” If the answer is yes, it’s time to dig deeper. Alan explains that technical debt often appears in approval processes and outdated systems no longer serving a valid purpose. Diagnosing these inefficiencies is the first step toward improving speed and productivity.
He also stresses the importance of tracking how long it takes to get things done across different parts of a system. Often, new systems operate more efficiently, while older parts of the organization lag due to accumulated technical debt. By comparing the speed of clean systems with outdated ones, companies can identify where their efforts to streamline processes will have the most significant impact.
Alan’s approach to solving these issues is twofold. First, he advocates for the development of what he calls a “community of mastery” – a group of critical thinkers and innovators within the organization who are committed to solving complex problems. This community should be built around both experienced mentors and young talent eager to learn and contribute. Alan suggests organizations should actively work on mentoring programs that do more than just tick boxes. Effective mentoring involves assigning significant responsibilities to younger team members under the guidance of experienced professionals, thus preparing them to take over leadership roles in the future. This approach not only fills the emerging knowledge gaps but also ensures the organization remains dynamic and adaptable.
Second, he encourages organizations to stop seeing technical debt and the wisdom gap as isolated issues. Instead, they should approach these challenges holistically, recognizing that a more agile and knowledgeable workforce can help address technical debt while pushing the company toward greater innovation.
Alan also points out the importance of an ROI mindset when addressing inefficiencies. He explains that instead of simply complaining about the slow pace of work, teams should identify specific problems, estimate how much time and money fixing them would save, and present those solutions to management. This approach encourages more proactive problem-solving across all levels of the organization.
Alan’s expert advice provides a clear pathway for organizations looking to enhance their adaptability and efficiency. If you have further questions or would like to learn more about tackling these problems, you can get in touch with Alan via email at [email protected] or visit exceptionaldifference.com for more information.
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