Why I was successful as a tech director
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 08:11AM
In a recent Facebook post, David Warlick wrote:
Many years ago, during graduation season, before mass shootings, culture wars, and a pandemic filled the news, there were several stories about how tech firms were starting to hire liberal arts graduates over those with new technical degrees.
They found that it was easier to teach coding and other technical skills to English and history majors than it was to teach communication skills to techies. I talked with a number of school district directors of technology who said that their technical staff with humanities backgrounds were not only better communicators, but also more innovative in their problem solving and better at collaborating in teams.
An important part of being a successful scientist, mathematician or engineer, is knowing what’s worth studying, computing, or building.
When I tell strangers that I retired after serving 28 years as a school technology director, they often comment that I must know a lot about computers and the Internet and smartphones and such. Even more frightening, they may ask me to help with a technology problem they are currently having.
I quickly explain that I lasted in my technology leadership position for as long as I did, not because I knew a lot about tech, but because I could work well with people who did. Unless the problem can be solved by powering down and back up again, I’m not much help.
In a column I wrote for ASCD, now nearly 10 years old, I reflected on changes that were already occurring in my field:
Tech leadership skills are moving
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From configuring networks and local servers to mediating contracts for cloud-based and contracted services.
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From supervising technicians to evaluating outsourced work and setting up effective help-desk processes.
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From writing technology plans to working interdepartmentally with curriculum, staff-development, public relations, assessment, and strategic-planning leaders.
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From providing technology devices to staff and students to providing access to school network resources accessible with personal devices.
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From writing policies that dictate behaviors and ban activities to writing guidelines and curriculums that encourage safe and responsible use.
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From knowing about the how to understanding the why of a new technology in education.
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From preserving the status quo to implementing new technology applications and best practices.
Each of the changes reinforces Warlick’s statement that communication skills are essential for technology workers.
Some time ago, I read that IT departments are often underfunded because those who run them cannot convincingly communicate to upper management why such funding is necessary in terms they can understand. In the same column quoted above, I explained:
Even though I couldn't install a router if my life depended on it, I can describe in plain English things like routers, packet shapers, firewalls, deployment servers, thin clients, Active Directory, DaaS, WAPs, and a whole host of TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms)—what they are, what they do, why they are important, and what specs to think about when considering them. I read continually and broadly in many areas of technology. But I depend on my IT staff, especially my patient network manager, to teach me and help me make good collaborative decisions.
I guess my English degree paid off. Hire those humanities majors!
Reader Comments (6)
That explains the push in communications classes when I was in pre-engineering in the 90’s (speculation is my own).
Cory,
Must have gone to a far-sighted school!
Doug
My daughter majored in marine biology and fisheries biology. In the process she became quite adept at technology as well. She has also always been great at writing and speaking. She eventually became a data scientist with Florida Fish and Wildlife. She does a lot of tech work, but she describes her job this way: “Basically, I translate what the tech people are saying to the scientists and vice versa.” She once worked on a project that involved wildlife associations from various states. The head of one of the other state associations said to Kristin’s boss:”We don’t know WHAT Kristin’s job is - but we want one!” It is all about communication!
Hi Jacquie,
This is a great story of the importance of good communication skills. It also is an example of what I called "head for the edge" - having an expertise in two separate areas and being able to combine them. Having knowledge of both libraries and technology made me a different kind of expert (and sometimes a pariah) in both fields.
Thanks for the comment! Hope you are well.
Doug
Thank you for this post, Doug. This mentee has followed in her mentor’s footsteps for sure. You had belief in me as I came up through the ranks as a teacher and now a tech director. I continue to believe in the people on my team with or without tech experience/knowledge as you believed in me. In appreciation of you.
Thanks, Tracy. Always nice to hear one has been a positive influence. You were a pretty easy person to "mentor." I think I may have learned more from you than you from me.
Keep up the good work down in Lakeville. Keep those techies in line!
Doug