I have used knives whose blades were not sharpened. I swung an ax whose blade was dull. Sweat and swearing were common between the experiences. The job got done, but what a mess.

You live in that reality every day.

You supply employees with the technology they need, and yet they fail to educate themselves to its best use, fail to keep up with its enhancements. They use a dulled blade.

Sometimes, they are in your line of fire, and correction is easy; often, you must rely on others instead to promote better practices.

I recently spoke with a technology leader who was approaching head-banging time. Efforts to save his own IT staff from the failure of other departments to learn and maximize technology dedicated to their use was taking its toll.

How do you as a leader get others to own technology designed and implemented for them?

I listened as other leaders chimed in on the issue, their input easily classed as wisdom. Topics ranged from charge-back scenarios to political intrigue. It was an energizing exchange.

I weighed in some, and then I thought about it some more. I steered my ideas into two arenas, seeking to answer the challenge of how CIOs and leaders overcome the irresponsible use of technology.

Be clear on your response-ability.

A few things are true of you if you are a competent leader. One, you are directly responsible for some things. Two, there are things you feel responsible for even though you technically are not. Three, there are things you are not responsible for, but you will be held responsible for.

The distinction between the three is critical.

1. When you are responsible, and technology is not being fully owned by others.

Leaders recognize that they are dealing with three types of people: those that respond to correction, those that respond to consequence, and those that respond to force.

When people are swinging a dull ax because they haven’t sharpened their skills around technology, the first course of action is correction. Do they need to expand their understanding? Do they need training? Do they need action plans in place?

Correction is usually around two critical components: risk and waste. Both must be minimized, and neither can be taken for granted. Eventually, risk and waste are issues that get addressed at the highest level of a company’s decision making.

The second course of action is implementing a consequence: If the current practices continue, a new reality will enter the picture. Consequences take many forms of course; financial, limit of services, delay of accessibility, etc.

The third course of action is bringing in an authority who can force what you want. Policy is born out of lazy practice.

If you are truly responsible for certain end results, then nothing and no one can stand in the way of you fulfilling your responsibilities. Correct. Create consequences. Enforce.

2. When you are not responsible, but you feel responsible.

Leaders inevitably take on more than they should. It’s the nature of leading. In technology, perhaps even more so. You know what can be done. You know what should not be done.

Yet. You are not necessarily responsible for every misuse of technology. You are the parent at an age when kids can and will make their own choices. Like a good parent, hard as it is, you must allow for choices, even those that result in pain.

When I am not responsible, but I feel responsible, I have two responses. First, I pick up the issue. I speak with the person who is actually responsible, I state my observations and concerns, and I offer my help.

Second, I drop it. People eventually hear an “I told you so” even when you don’t speak it.

3. When you are not responsible, but you know that you will be held responsible.

Technology is such a vast terrain that anything lumped into technology is seen as your responsibility.

When another has direct control over a technology, but you know that you will be caught in the fall-out of their failure, then you owe it to you and to your team to over-communicate around the issue of your concern.

Don’t drop it, document it.

Technology misuse and irresponsibility demands a response from you. Your response-ability lies within the degree of your responsibility.

Win the influencer

Responsible use of technology is a team responsibility. You cannot be the lone champion. In some instances, you need another leader to take up your cause.

What if they won’t?

Let me introduce you to the buy-in tree.

The buy-in tree works from the top down. The top of the tree is most easily swayed.

It works like this. I need a leader to enforce responsible use of technology. They may or may not be willing to implement that on my behalf. They get pushback they would rather not deal with.

My first question: What can I do to help another leader get their team to buy-in? I need to make another leader’s life a little easier.

What if the leader is still resistant? What if I can’t deal with the top of the tree (irresponsible users)?

My second question: How do I help the leader address their resistance? Are they ignorant of the issue? Do they lack initiative because they don’t know where to start? Are they intimidated by the process or the people involved? Are they simply an independent spirit and nothing that I do will matter?

Let’s review: The top of the tree is something I can do that easily corrects the issue with the users of concern. The trunk of the tree is how I can help another leader to lead their team. Once the leader “gets it” then they can shake the branches at the top.

What if the trunk is truncated? What if they lack what it takes to see what you see?

We go deeper. We go to the root that can upend the whole tree. The CEO or similar authority designee. Why? Because risk and waste are on the table, and because it’s your responsibility to be clear at all times. Not convincing. Clear.

What happens in that conversation is material for another article. But the perspective remains:

Top of the tree: What I can do to correct misuse and save everyone time and money.

Trunk of the tree: How I can help another leader to see the issue and to lead their team.

Root of the tree: When I need to bring in the person no one says no to.

How do you get people to own the technology that has been dedicated to them in the first place?

Be clear on what you are responsible for, and win the influencer who will champion your cause.

It will save you a lot of sweat and swearing.

Are you being challenged with irresponsible use of technology? Contact me if I can be of further help.