The Corporate Mindset
The Bad
- Risk averse
- Enamored of the status quo
- They’ve been burned by technology hype – we oversold in the past and now corporate culture has apprehensions. We’re dealing with a skeptical audience.
- Unimpressed by features and novelty.
- Recession has cut middle management and consequently everyone else is very busy.
- Uninterested in social revolutions.
- Hostile to auto-obsolescence – hierarchy is not obsolete.
- ROI seeking.
- Convinced of their own uniqueness.
The Good
- Aware of new tools and approaches
- Aware of organizational dysfunctions
- Pragmatic
- Swayed by theory
- Narratives – what going on, paint a picture, where we fit into it
- Keenly aware of what their peers are going
- They fear being left behind.
How to talk to your bosses about technology
- Comparisons instead of demos.
- Present theories and frameworks, not jargon.
- Present data, case studies, and narratives. (Not Google, Amazon etc).
- Activate peer effects
- Anticipate concerns
- Show that you understand their problems.
- Don’t treat them like geeks or dopes.
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