Presentation by Ian MacIntyre, Head of Digital, NHS Leadership Academy at ECO 18: How digital innovation can support workforce strategies on Wednesday 27 March at Haydock Park Racecourse.

1. Killing Digital
Making Technology Less Intimidating
Ian MacIntyre
Head of Digital
27th March 2019

2. The Problem Statement…
Technology will
replace me
eventually…
I need you to give me
a platform…
I know they have
something similar
but ours needs to be
slightly different…
Why does this cost
so much…
Why do we have to
change, we have
always done it this
way…
I provided my
requirements in that
text message I sent
you last week…

3. Technology will
replace me
eventually…
I need you to give me
a platform…
I know they have
something similar
but ours needs to be
slightly different…
Why does this cost
so much…
Why do we have to
change, we have
always done it this
way…
I provided my
requirements in that
text message I sent
you last week…
Which really means…
You personally are
taking my job from
me
I need to have a bit
of cool technology
but not really sure
why
I’m special I do not want to
spend a huge chunk
of my precious
budget on this
I do not like change
and will resist it
You are being
unreasonable, I have
told you exactly what
I want!

4. So how do we change the
dialogue from one of threat to
one of opportunity?

5. Make the conversation relatable…
From this…
To this…
Without encountering this…

6. Anatomy of a spell…
Or why technology is magic…
A spell aims to enable a specific outcome
A spell has to be defined correctly
The person casting the spell has to be taught how
to do that correctly so the outcome is consistent and
predictable
A spell will ideally be tested in a non-critical
environment
A badly cast spell can go really wrong
Technology aims to enable a specific outcome
Technology has to be defined correctly
The person requesting the technology has to be taught
how to do that correctly so the outcome is consistent and
predictable
Technology will ideally be tested in a non-critical
environment
Badly implemented technology can go really wrong

7. The Room of Requirement…
Or DevOps Automation in the Cloud…
A secret room that you only access when a
person has great need of it…
It’s free but you need to know how to access
it…
But it provides as much or as little as you
need whenever you need it…
A (very) secret room that you only access
when you need processing and storage for
your technology project…
You only pay for what you use…
But you can use as much or as little as you
need whenever you need it…

8. Defence against the Dark Arts…
Or Cyber Security…
All colleagues are taught to recognise common threats…
Colleagues are given basic strategies for dealing with
threats…
Teaching is carried out by experts…
The lessons learnt can be used in all situations…
Can instil a sense of mild paranoia…
All colleagues are taught to recognise common
threats…
Colleagues are given basic strategies for dealing
with threats…
Teaching is carried out by experts…
The lessons learnt can be used in all situations…
Can instil a sense of mild paranoia…

9. Capture colleagues’ needs gently…
Hypothesis Document (pre development)
We believe that…
What is the problem or opportunity we are
trying to address?
To verify that we will…
How will we test that the problem has been
solved or the opportunity has been released?
And measure…
What measures will we need to use to
baseline the existing problem and monitor
improvements towards the desired state?
We are right if…
What is specific measurement that would
indicate we have solved the problem or
released the opportunity?
Hypothesis Document (post development)
We observed…
What are the results of the solution we
delivered in terms of ‘being right’?
From that, we learned
What are the outcomes that have resulted
from the solution beyond the specific results
obtained?
Therefore, we…
What are the next steps with the solution
based on the outcomes seen and measured?

10. Focus forward…

11. Make outcomes come alive…

12. Evolution - virtual campus solution…
Snowflakes
Are fragile
They're expensive
They're hard to
recreate
If you touch it,
you'll destroy it
Pets
Aren’t invincible
Quite expensive
Replaceable but not the
same
You can play with them but
you need to ensure they are
well-trained
They are hard work
Cattle
Hardy
Relatively cheap
Replaceable
If one goes wrong you
just replace it
You just leave them in a
field to do their thing
You need a ranch or farm
Snowflakes
£1000 a
month
Pets
£100 a month
Cattle
£10 a month

13. Make it fun…
Killing Digital
- Informal technology (loosely) themed sessions which anyone can come to
and anyone can lead
- Encouraged to kill the myth that Digital is difficult and not for all
- Now a by-word for communicating useful technology

14. In Summary…
Understand where your user community are at
with regard to technology
Change the dialogue from threat to opportunity
Create a non-threatening environment to
interact with your user community
Help your user community to help you
Ensure they understand the value of what you
have given them
Embrace your inner creativity and let it flow
into your solutions in response
Have fun!