New innovations and technologies continue to shape the business landscape, and organizations need to innovate at an ever-increasing rate. As part of our mission to share insights and engaging thought leadership perspectives from in-the-know tech leaders, we sat down with Andy Flatt, Senior Vice President and CIO of National Healthcare Corporation (NHC), to get his thoughts about tech leadership, the value of training and what lies ahead.
When it comes to the tech industry, knowledge is leadership
Over the past decade, tech has transitioned from a behind-the-scenes business role to a key driver of an organization’s strategy and success. Tech leaders are at the forefront of the business and require a deep understanding of the latest developments in the tech space. “Now, every piece of the business runs on technology,” says Andy. “So it’s incumbent on technology leaders to have a huge knowledge of the business.”Communication skills are vital for leaders – and anyone working in tech
The ability to communicate effectively is a key driver in managing and mitigating security risks and is a vital skill for employees at every level of your organization, especially when technology is part of the conversation. Navigating new innovations requires communicating the benefits, risks, and requirements with clarity to ensure everyone is on the same page. According to Andy, leaders also need to be diplomatic, so they can “help steer and guide the decisions that need to be made in order to effectively roll out technology and keep it secure.”Balancing innovation with security is vital for success
When it comes to the importance of security in tech, the proof is in the news headlines. A data breach, malware attack, or other security event can have a devastating impact on a business, its reputation in the industry, and its perception among its customers.While innovation and agility are crucial to delivering results and staying ahead of your competitors, it’s important to have a robust governance process in place with security professionals overseeing any new projects and innovations put forward for consideration. “The first order of business is security and that prompts everything else,” says Andy. He also highlights the importance of having a clear incident response plan, so if your company is facing an incident or an investigation, “there’s a protocol by which you do that and take it up the chain of communication as appropriate.”
A culture of learning and development can give businesses a competitive edge
By providing and promoting learning opportunities, companies can create a clear path for employees that leads to enhancing important skills, tackling new issues as they arise, and innovative thinking that keeps the organization moving forward. Flexible training options that reflect the ways your employees learn best can also help them feel motivated to embrace learning and development. Instead of a mandatory requirement added to their list of responsibilities, flexible training options give employees an engaging opportunity to build valuable skills and grow in their career.Creating an effective plan that is met with enthusiasm requires taking into account the different types of learning styles. As Andy points out, "There’s no one size that fits all as far as learning style. Whether somebody likes to go to a class, or they like to read and take tests or they’re virtual, that’s all up to the individual learner. What we try to do is encourage all those options and provide for the ability to go and take classes online.”
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Employees face greater demands for tech skills
As tech continues to shift and change, companies aren’t the only ones under pressure to stay ahead. Employees also need to continue to upskill and advance their skills to perform and deliver in the workplace. “If you bifurcate specialties like infrastructure or, most specifically, security, I think you’re going to have a huge demand for deep knowledge in certain areas,” says Andy.
Even employees who aren’t working in the IT department may find themselves needing a level of tech knowledge and skills to help them deliver and shine in their role. According to Andy, “In the past, we would look to recruit solid talent and continually build a good IT organization and department. Now, most IT organizations have good technology talent throughout the business. So how do we help?”
To learn more about tech training solutions that can make an impact across your organization, contact our team today.
