Khan’s Oath For Technology Professionals

Business Improvement and Transformation, Current Topics

I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this pledge:

I will respect but also appropriately challenge the hard-won technological gains of those technology professionals in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those diversity of people who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of organizations and society, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of technology-first and technology-last.

I will remember that there is art in technological implementations in addition to business and technology frameworks, and that warmth, empathy, ethics and understanding should outweigh the manager’s bias, the analyst’s conclusion, and the system’s algorithms.

I will not be ashamed to say “I know not”, nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another one are needed for technological improvements.

I will respect the privacy of my user, for their information is not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially I must tread with care in matters of using data to positively or negatively affect decisions. If it is given to me to have to have a positive impact, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to have a negative impact; this must never happen as I should make every effort to be aware of my own biases while being aware of the big picture. Above all, I must realize although important, technology shouldn’t be the de facto solution to everything.

I will remember that I do not just address a support ticket, a software bug, a cybersecurity threat, a network issue, a system feature, but my actions can directly and indirectly adversely affect people in organizations and societies. My responsibility includes taking into account these interconnected  issues and solutions, if I am to improve anything.

I will prevent misuse of technology whenever I can, for addressing issues immediately is preferable to delaying it.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those who understand technology and those who do not.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with inspiration thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of helping those who seek my technological expertise.

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How Mediocre Hiring Managers Hire Mediocre Employees

Business Improvement and Transformation, Current Topics, Management Best Practices

Once upon a time, there was a hiring manager who always worked with mediocre employees and had never worked with a great employee.

One day a great employee A from another organization decided to work for the organization of the hiring manager.

The hiring manager took a long, hard look at employee A’s resume and said, “Oh my, what funny mediocre employee you are!”

The hiring manager thought employee A was a mediocre employee because s/he had never worked with a great employee but had always worked with many mediocre employees.

“I am not a mediocre employee at all.” said employee A by explaining s/he goes above and beyond the basic expectations.

“Nonsense!” said the hiring manager. “I’ve worked with more mediocre employee than you have years of experience, and I know a mediocre employee when I see one.”

“If you’re so sure that I’m a mediocre employee,” said employee A, “then why do you say I am a funny mediocre employee?”

“Well, just look at the way you communicate,” said the hiring manager. “It’s all so refined. Mediocre employee don’t have good listening or extrapolating skills. And look at all those experiences and qualifications! Mediocre employee don’t have experience and qualifications like that. And look at the way you dress! It’s too refined and needs to come back to reality. Mediocre employees don’t dress nicely like that.”

And before employee A could reply, the hiring manager hired the great employee.  The hiring manager informed employee A that s/he doesn’t need to showcase/use their experience and skillsets in this position. The hiring manager informed employee A how s/he should communicate in the organization. And the hiring manager made the great employee go for an organizational orientation which emphasized organizational values and dressing sharp was not one of them.

As soon as the hiring manager was finished with the demands, it was lunchtime. So employee A met up with another great employee B from another organization.

“Well, well,” said employee B. “Aren’t you a funny great employee!”

“Well, at least you know I’m a great employee,” said employee A. “Thank goodness for that!”

“What happened to you?” asked employee B.

“Well,” said employee A, “A hiring manager thought I was a mediocre employee. And since mediocre employee don’t go above and beyond the basic expectations, s/he asked me to do the same. And since mediocre employee don’t have good communication skills, I was asked to communicate how the rest of the organization communicates. And since mediocre employee don’t dress sharp, I was asked to conform to the dress code of the organization.”

“The hiring manager must be very foolish, indeed,” said employee B. And with that, employee B told employee A about an organization where hiring managers used rewards and incentives and appreciated (1) how you communicate, (2) how you use your experiences and qualifications to go above and beyond and (3) how you dress.”

“Also remember this”, employee B continued, “there are a lot silly hiring managers in the world who think that mediocre employees are great employees, or that great employees and mediocre employees, or that all sorts of things are like other things without understanding context/nuance and are unable to extrapolate beyond the immediate needs. And when they are silly like that, they do very foolish things. We must be sure to stay away for that hiring manager and other hiring manager like her/him.”

What do you think happened next? Did employee A leave the organization or remain in the organization to be forced to become mediocre.