Over recent weeks. I've had many interesting conversations with small business owners. Something I've noticed in the course of these conversations is many times, when the subject turned to technology, there were two recurring themes: First, they hated thinking about it. Second, as we got further into the conversation it became clear the reason they hated it is because they were getting what I call "lost in the weeds".
There's no arguing technology is a complex area. But often times it's easy to end up focusing on mundane details and technological nitty gritty which don't really add up to being important in the end. Things like hardware specs, software features, options and of course costs can make your head spin. If you're making an IT decision and any of this sounds familiar then chances are, you're getting lost in the weeds.
So how do you get out of these weeds? There are a couple of things you can do:
1. Work backwards. Ask yourself, "what are my business goals and what/how does this help me get there?". If a single feature or specification cannot readily answer that question it's probably not important.
2. At the beginning of your decision process, create a list of three key points to your decision. If you get stuck on something, refer back to these key points and test against them. If your hang-up doesn't mesh with these key decisions then it's probably not important.
3. If you find yourself still getting stuck, it's likely time to ask for help. Often times an outside perspective can provide a wealth of insight and help narrow down your decision-making process.
Now this method isn't perfect, but 99% of the time when making decision about technology, the thing people get hung up on does not ultimately affect the results they hope to achieve. By zooming out and broadening the decision, you can focus on what really matters and what will actually help propel your business forward.
IT is an integral part of any business today. It's paramount your decisions are aimed at your business goals and not focused on insignificant details. Don't get lost in the weeds.