As Michael sat in the small conference room on the 8th floor he wondered how he

was going to succeed. How was he going to use his current project assignments to
facilitate the change required at the Firm? He knew he could customize and deploy the
new tools to the entire organization. This wasnt the problem. The problem was
convincing his senior management that if even if the new technical tools were deployed
as prescribed, the Firm would ultimately slip farther away from becoming the great
company desired.
He couldnt believe his predicament. He could simply keep his ideas to himself.
He didnt need to rock the boat and possibly get his collective bosses questioning his
intentions. If he chooses to alert everyone that current projects, while being technically
sound and capable of fixing the specific problems assigned, didnt truly help the firm. He
was afraid of being accused of empire building. Empire building in his eyes was the
worst accusation that his management could make. Simply put, he didnt want them to
perceive that he was chasing alternative technical solutions to enhance his own career and
build a bigger department. Creativity was always welcomed and greediness was always
punished. Unfortunately, there is a very fine in the perception of the two. He had to
think. He had to strategize. It was time to regroup.
After some quiet time he was ready to begin. With a blank piece of paper and a
blue pen he started. He realized that all of the project problems were important, but the
reality was that there was only one large issue. On the top of the page he wrote,
PROBLEM: Senior management only feels comfortable with deploying currently
existing technology. This problem creates several other environmental issues that will

likely snowball into future non-technical firm-wide cultural concerns. He sat back,
scratched his head and continued on the paper.
He wrote again, FUTURE CULTURE CONCERNS: There is a growing gap between
our current and future to-be-hired younger staffs technical expectations and capabilities,
and the capacity of the older managerial staff to understand, sponsor, approve the efforts
required to meet those expectations. The continuation of choosing projects using the
status quo will only widen the gap. If this persists, the Firm will no longer be an
attractive employment option for the talent we need to hire, nor will it be in an optimal
position to acquire clients seeking assistance in such matters. Michael felt a weight
release off of his shoulders. There, I said it, he said out loud. At that time, his colleague
Frank walked by and stopped to read the paper on which Michael was writing. Frank
quickly and with a lot of sarcasm said, Good luck with that, I am sure you will have
no problem telling our bosses that they are old, slow and in the way of progress. Can I
have your office when youre gone?
Michael knew it was a delicate topic. Now a third party, Frank, confirmed it. But
that wasnt what bugged him. What bothered him was that he knew that despite it being
difficult to present to his bosses, it was still what he had to do. He had to do it because he
was confident that he was correct. He was sure that going down the existing path using
current technologies to solve short-term problems was firm-wide suicide. He had to do
something. He had to proceed with his plan of writing down the issues, formulating
possible solutions, and with kid gloves presenting it to his management.
He wondered where he could buy a suit of armor and a parachute for the long fall out of
the Board Room window down to the sidewalk 10 stories below.

He continued with putting his ideas on paper. Next he wrote, AREAS OF

FOCUS: and then he started to list out the areas that should be considered to better
improve the firm by both aligning with emerging technologies and consistent with the
way younger staff use technology. Additionally, it is a given that these new technologies
would not be simple upgrades, but rather completely different paths that replaced
currently accepted ways of doing things.
The list started with the most obvious to Michael.
1. Enhance Instant Messaging Tools Deemphasize the use of email as the primary
way of collaborating (This was going to be a recurring theme Michael thought). Staff,
and younger society that will become staff, use email less each year and can no longer
are comfortable waiting for standard response time associated with email.
2. Cloud Based Data Storage The risks associated with storing Firm data on local
hard drives was unacceptable and the staff and operational hardware costs that go along
with Firm hosted servers is an uphill battle that cannot be won.
3. Social Sharing Forums In addition to the instant access to information and
answers that the younger staff required. They also had another expectation, They
wanted recognition. They wanted instant global awareness and recognition of their
contributions to the Firm.
4. Mobile, Mobile, Mobile Everything, literally everything needs to be on-the-go
ready. If it isnt available from a smart phone then it simply is a fossil.
Michael sat back and stared. Almost in a trance at his short list and said, Dammit, this is
going to be a tough road to sell to the old dudes in the corner offices.

After all of this work he realized he had a new set of problems, actually it was
only a single problem. But it was a big hairy problem. He ripped off a new sheet of paper
and pulled out a red wrote as largely and as quickly as possible.
NEW BIG BIGGER ISSUE Not only do we have to convince management to
consider newer technologies, but they also have to look past what is available today.
They have to consider what is coming out in the near future, not what is already
available. If we only look at what we can do today, then we will be in the same
predicament that we are in today. We must break this cycle!
This problem was easy to understand now. If it takes on average 18 months to
select, customize and deploy a new tool at the Firm, then anything available now would
be ancient by the time it went live. Michael continued writing, Any technology must
not be a slave to a singular technical tool, but rather a technical way of thinking. For
example, we must not just pick a text-messaging tool. Instead we need to change our
selection process so that we can choose and install in a few months. We also need to
promote a way of thinking to our staff that highlights that changes, both procedural and
technical, due to new technologies or even poor performance is normal. It is only with
this two-pronged approach that rapid technical retirements and replacement
deployments can be successful. Finally, it also is equally important that management
adopts a style that allows for minor miss-hits due to quasi-experimental solutions, as it
will be a more common occurrence that some tools will not be perfect fits due to their
immaturity in the market and/or the originally vetted tools functionality never made it
into the final product. Michael put down the pen and looked at the work in front of him.
This was not going to be an easy task. He closed his eyes and let his headrest in

his hands against his desk. Moments later a soft buzzing song emanated from the drawer
on his desk. The iPhone rattled against pens and other various items. Michael snapped
upright and opened his drawer putting the phone out in a practiced manor. Luckily it was
only a next and not a phone call. The words iMessage: Susan appeared on the bright
high definition screen. He unlocked his phone and quickly read the message. Susan was
just reminding him that he had a meeting later on in the day. Michael smiled and
pocketed his phone, a small smile on his face. Sometimes his boss acted more like an
intern than the CAO that she was. He got up from his desk and paced around his in corner
office thinking of a way to break free of the well-trodden path.
Susan soon bounded into the room and looked at Michael. Relax man, you got
this. She said putting a hand on his shoulder. Somehow she was always able to read his
mind. Ill help you beat this corporate bureaucracy. The petite woman said with a
confident smirk. Michael smiled softly and grabbed his paper and folded it, placing it in
his pocket. He was as ready as he was going to get. It was time for the big meeting with
the heads of the different sub-sections of the firm.
Michael and Susan walked the long carpeted route to the floors main conference
room. Once inside he looked down the long mahogany table. On both sides of the table
were the men that controlled the fate of the Firm; the members of the room were all men,
with the average of about late-sixties. They were all well dressed and very proper, in a
corporate sense. Michael and Susan made their way to the head of the table and cleared
his throat. The show was about to begin and it was going to be his best performance, or it
would be his last.
I know I have stated several times that the technology department is dated. Very

dated. Michael said in the calmest voice that he could muster. The old members huffed
and grumbled, it was going to be once of those meetings again. I know what you all are
thinking but please just listen to me. The Firm is one of the biggest corporations in the
world, we are known across the globe and we bring in over 5 billion dollars a year in
revenue a fiscal year. Yet, we are no longer a growing company. Weve halted in size
even though weve opened more offices. Do you know why? Its because the adults that
are just graduating now are not coming to use, they are going to the competition. Why?
Because this company is not modernizing and is stuck in the past.
One of the older gentlemen near the back of the table piped up. We dont want
those millennials, they are all entitled spoiled brats. A few other men nodded in
agreement, Michael sighed and looked at Susan. Not only is the lack of modern
technology hurting our expansion it will, and soon, be hurting us, via our clients. We
wont be progressive so potential clients will go to other firms that are progressive.
Michael pleaded without looking weak. What are you getting at? Another older man
sneered. Hes saying that we will lose business if we dont move forward. Were
standing still in a fast moving world, well get left behind. Susan quipped from the
sidelines. Thats impossible A senior member said, All of our processes have been
tested for years and they work. No need to fix what isnt broken.
Michael fought with everything he had to not face-palm in front of his audience.
Youre missing the point. It took this company a few years to simply upgrade to a fax
machine. Most companies dont even use them anymore. I know some of you still hand
write your expense reports, which then your secretary, has to type into Excel. We are so
far behind that unless we start now well be entombed. Ive done my research and found

a software that is exactly what this company needs, a new jolt of life. Itll allow
employees to upload their work to a cloud server so everything can be kept in a safe
virtual location. Information theft is a problem here, if everything is uploaded instantly
then we will maintain control of the knowledge. That would also mean that employees
could work remotely and still have access to everything as if they were at work. The
crowd mumbled. Where is the cloud? Is it big? Someone asked. Michael nodded Its
on the Internet and its impossibly huge. If you want we can call it the galactic cloud, that
sounds bigger.
The members hadnt started yelling at him so he took it as a good sigh and
continued with his pitch. Another important thing we need to do is have our software
displayed to that it is inviting and gives people the recognition that they desire. Lets say if
Joe writes a nice report on trees for Connor, and someone else looks up trees. Itll say
that Joe did it and thatll be a pat on the back; a tangible way to see how one person is
impacting the Firm. Also this software would be available via smart phone and personal
tablet. Everyone is on the go and multitasking so it would only make sense to have their
work on the go. The sharing of information and mobility of it will make new arrivals feel
welcomed and comforted instantly with familiarity with the system that is based on social
networking. They all are connected through links in the software and reports, with
everything allowing access to other files. It will be one big connected web of information
that will always be growing based on the activity with it. It will conduct productivity and
growth of both the company and the employee. Michael smiled, he felt like he had
delivered his message clearly to the board as he could.
Well we can discuss this and get back to you next meeting. A man said

standing up slowly. No. Michael said harshly. This is what always happens. You go to
deliberate and when the next meeting comes around you always have some convenient
reason why you have not discussed it. Michael glared at the men. AND, he stressed,
If you have discussed it you have to file an astronomical number of documents to allow
this and allow that. By the time things are allowed to move forward and be set up the
newest thing is just hitting the markets and eighteen months had passed. If we want to
keep up with the world we cant think about now. We have to think about tomorrow. We
have to be able to adapt and try things that arent completely tested. We have to take risks
and have faith in the companies right now that are building the software of tomorrow. Im
not asking you today to give me a carte blanche to get whatever software I want, Im
saying lets cut the bullshit. We could have new software set up in two months if we can
have a green light, and that two months would include a customization time to fine tune
the product to us and our needs.
The men around the oval table sat there speechless, they had never been spoken to
like that in their entire lives. Its not just a change of software or technology Im talking
about. Its a change of mind, of culture. We need to embrace the new the same way the
newest generation already has and adopt it into our lives and workplace. We cant afford
to only see technology the way we used too. That view has been long gone and the new
one is already here.
There was a pregnant pause that filled the conference room. Michael felt his heart
pounding in his chest and he looked at Susan who smiled and gave him a small thumbs
up. All the members stood up in one practiced movement. Well discuss this and get
back to you at the next meeting. The men then all walked out of the room. Michael

sighed and sat down at the table. It had failed and the dinosaurs that were just in the room
were going to become extinct and take the company with it. I guess I just put my head
on the chopping block. He said in a sad chuckle to Susan, whos face matched his. Her
reputation and job was also in the same situation as his. We had a good run. She said
softly.
Just then there was a knocking at the door of the boardroom. Lukas, the son of the
CEO, poked his head into the doorway. I overheard what you were saying to those old
guys. Lukas was about 20 years younger than Susan and Michael and worked for the
company as one of the senior directors. I agree with you one million percent. Ive been
trying to say that to my dad forever now yet I couldnt ever get the wording right. You,
you got it right and I want you to talk to my dad tomorrow. This company has been
trapped in a maze of bureaucracy for too long and its time we got out. Its time to move
forward and show the world what this Firms got to offer. Ive got big plans for you
Michael. Lukas said pulled out his cell phone and texted his dad, who was on a golf trip.
Youre meeting with him is at 10am tomorrow. Ill be there and Susan, you can come
too. Instantly a fire burst into Michaels heart and his chest swelled with renewed hope.
Consider it done.