There’s great value in learning how to code, but it’s not the be-all and end-all to a career in technology. In fact, it can be career-limiting when young talent’s desirable coding skills inadvertently create opportunities to unleash their full potential, especially as leaders.
But early in our careers, we’re not necessarily aware of it.
As a result, companies must better define the skills needed for technology professionals to advance into roles such as chief information officer, chief technology officer, and even strategic or operational roles. broader action – rather than just placing them in a “developer” repository.
Forrester research shows that only 41% of women and 54% of men currently agree that their respective companies provide effective training to become a leader or manager.
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A few key factors should be at the forefront of tech people looking to advance their careers and build their skill sets. Topping the list is getting as many diverse experiences as possible and embracing creativity.
It is important to realize that the two factors are interrelated: One’s breadth of experience also helps to develop and hone one’s creative skills. Creativity also helps iterative and fuel-tested. However, technology leaders need to do more to encourage their team members to hone in on both, so they can move deeper into leadership roles.
Get as much variety of experiences as possible
Let’s discuss the value of having diverse experiences First. When I started working in technology, I chose to consult and purposely work with a smaller company because I knew I would quickly get stuck in a rut. When this happens, it’s a positive: You’ll end up leading on multiple projects while being exposed to a variety of companies, industries, and perspectives.
By interweaving different perspectives and inputs from as many experiences and people as possible, you learn to solve problems in innovative and creative ways. To get the most out of those experiences, you must have a curious nature, always asking “why?” or how?” or “what if?” And for tech professionals, instead of thinking in a “what should be the technology platform?” mindset, redirect and approach situations from a different perspective. business settlement point.
Be creative wherever you can
I cannot stress the importance of creativity in business, especially in technology. Based on Forrester, leading companies will encourage their employees to be creative to deliver better customer experiences and results. This will lead to competitive advantage and higher productivity for companies. When you embrace creativity, you also open up a stronger potential to advance your tech career, setting you apart from your traditional, tech-minded peers.
While there are many ways to cultivate creativity, I have found these four qualities to be extremely helpful in developing creative skills:
Find a way to adapt
Technology is always changing. Use that innovation to spark your own adaptability. Avoid the temptation to choose an area of technology to focus on. Mastery is fleeting in technology. Instead, change with technology.
Every ForresterTechnology leaders meet the needs of customers and employees of the future by adapt, creative and resilient surpassing his peers. Present “suitable in the future”, these executives have a unique opportunity to be the leaders that drive the growth and prosperity of their companies by developing the right technology strategy for their clients.
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Smart risk taking
When I graduated from college, my goal was to work in a company where I could be assigned projects that I was unpredictable or not ready to start. I quickly realized that intelligent risk-taking like this was proving to be important to my career path.
Not being afraid of risk is key because then you can push yourself further to try new things or explore new areas of technology. But, interest is only one part of the equation; Take it a step further by applying technology in new and unique ways.
Be a problem solver
Problem solving is at the core of why most people choose to pursue a career in technology. Unfortunately, over time, many people working in technology find themselves in a position to constantly identify problems and risks, which is much easier to do than identifying solutions.
One simple tip: For every risk or problem you identify, challenge yourself to come up with a variety of creative solutions. That personal challenge not only benefits you, but also tends to be ingrained in your co-workers and company culture.
Embrace continuous innovation
If you work in technology but don’t want to learn about its latest innovations, you can still have a career in this field. Unfortunately, you won’t be exposed to new challenges or know how tech companies evolve or gain new paths to change.
It’s important to stay curious. Continue to ask questions and absorb the other person’s point of view. This will help you better understand what’s new about technology, so you can foresee use cases where that technology can improve businesses and lives.
Experience, curiosity and creativity are important factors for advancement into leadership positions. For anyone looking to make progress in the technology field, my advice is simply to unlock and harness the power of these three pillars.
To access more details about Forrester for tech executives, visit here.
Learn more about how technology leaders can shape the future growth of their organizations at Forrester North American Technology & Innovation Forum, taking place September 29–30, 2022.
Sharyn Leaver leads Forrester’s research arm, overseeing the analyst, executive partners, and analytics teams responsible for creating Forrester research, frameworks and tools that help executives and stakeholders Functional leaders – in technology, marketing, customer experience (CX), sales and product management – plan and pursue customer-obsessed growth.
