Doing the Difficult Things
- 13 hours ago
- 2 min read
There's always something new competing for attention in technology.
A shiny new platform. A new AI capability. A new tool promising to transform the organisation.
Those working in IT know the wrestle well. The opportunity may be exciting, but the resources required to deliver it are real.
Sometimes, the most important work isn't the work that attracts the most attention.
It's the work beneath the surface ... make sure you consider doing the difficult things!
1. Educate Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg
I often talk about the iceberg.
What executives and boards see is often only the visible tip. Beneath it are the foundations required for resilience, compliance, security, architecture and long-term capability.
The first hard thing is education.
Technology leaders need to help broader audiences understand what is happening beneath the surface, why it matters and what the consequences may be if it's ignored.
2. Resource for the Future
The next question is resourcing.
Can some of the work be delivered by someone else?
Perhaps...
But be careful about outsourcing capability that will become critical to your organisation.
The question isn't simply “Can somebody else do this?”
It's “What capability must we own in the future?”
Partnerships can create quick wins and accelerate delivery. They can also help develop internal capability. But the organisation needs to remain clear about what it cannot afford to lose.
3. Break Hard Things into Milestones
You don't need to do everything at once.
In fact, trying to do everything at once is often how important work becomes overwhelming.
Break the hard things into phases and milestones.
Be very clear about what success looks like. Know when a phase has been achieved. Celebrate the progress. Communicate it.
Hard work becomes more sustainable when people can see movement.
4. Connect to the Architecture
The hard things need to fit into a broader view of the organisation.
What is the desired architecture?
Where does this work fit?
What possibilities will it enable for the future business?
This clarity allows technology leaders to demonstrate integrity to regulators, auditors, partners and other external stakeholders.
5. Seek Independent Perspective
Finally, consider where independent assurance, guidance or facilitation may help.
Independence can create the space to ask difficult questions.
It can bring impartiality to complex decisions and provide access to experience that may not exist internally.
Choosing to do the hard things is rarely easy.
But the organisations that build resilience and prepare for the future are often the ones willing to do the work that others cannot immediately see.
If you're thinking about how to do the hard things, whether individually or through a workshop with your team, feel free to reach out.
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