WE ARE THE OUTSIDERS

…with a fresh perspective By Ryan Vestby

EVEN FOR THE MOST OPTIMISTIC PERSON, CHANGE CAN BE SCARY.And change is only part of the equation, when you factor in the immense speed at which that change is moving today, it has those glass half full types rethinking their entire philosophy. It is easy to keep diving down to the darkness of the nay-sayers in order to protect ourselves in the overwhelming technology revolution that is looming over society today. As human beings living through this, the loudest thought and concern is: We can’t keep up.

Therefore, I want to introduce you to the technology nomad. No fixed address, flexible and transparent this ideal doesn’t live in having everything figured out. It goes with the flow and adopts what makes sense and leaves what doesn’t. I challenge every company and leadership to start thinking like a technology nomad – it’s not about getting things right. It’s about trying and realizing that we aren’t meant to have all the answers, but we should be looking for them.

With change being an inevitable force coming at us, putting our own spin on the way we react to that change is the only way to survive. This is why we should take a page from the nomad lifestyle: instead of standing still waiting for conditions to improve around us, we must pick ourselves up and seek greater opportunities. And we do this most effectively by lightening our packs – throwing away old technology when it no longer serves us and seeing new technology not as an expense, but as a chance for betterment. We must embark on our journeys with a sense of adventure, not dread about this prospect and embrace the freeing quality of letting go of old ways and introducing new ones.

As we lighten our packs, throwing away preconceived notions about what is and isn’t “worth it,” we’ll be able to move with greater agility and reach better opportunities faster. Perhaps even more important than this concept, is the idea that nomads span the globe. This is not just about improving one’s own company or even one’s own industry, it’s about doing what will be better for people across all locales. As we become a more global society, each of us must look at how our personal and professional lives are impacted by how we change and grow together. Supporting technology growth in other parts of the world, across our own country and throughout each company gives us the chance to create new customers, greater continuity and the opportunity to make things easier for all, lightening the burden of change for everyone. When we are forced to change at a fast pace and travel with less in our packs than we are comfortable with, we need to rely even more on our fellow travelers to make decisions. And we need to empower them to make those decisions in alignment with our set core values and strategy. These two things push and drive the nomads: concise decisions and choices, and aligning those options with the core.

I would encourage you to look at your strategy and ask yourself if you have done enough in shooting for bold change in your firm.

We may not always have every step built out when we start a project as technology nomads. Steps 4 and 5 might not be completed but we have a good handle on steps 1-3. And when there is a timer in the market place, 1-3 is pretty good and not something you should sit on waiting to figure out the rest.

There is a great quote I want to leave you with that has helped me embrace the idea of nomadism in our culture today – “Life is too short to waste. Dreams are fulfilled only through action, not through endless planning to take action” – David J. Schwartz.

Good luck fellow nomads and know that we are here to encourage and support each of your journeys. Make it a great day.
Ryan Vestby,
CEO CompuVision

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