The human-centric approach to moving to the cloud [Q&A]

Over the past decade, cloud computing has emerged as a transformative force, promising unprecedented efficiency and scalability.

However, despite the rush for businesses to adopt this technology, many cloud projects still fail to meet their stated objectives

We spoke with Jamie Dobson, founder of Container Solutions and author of the book The Cloud Native Attitude, who believes the answer lies not in the technology itself, but in the people who wield it and that only by looking at cloud computing through a human-centric lens will businesses truly harness its power.

BN: The cloud allows businesses to access computing resources on-demand without maintaining their own physical infrastructure, but many cloud projects fail -- why is this?

JD: The answer lies not in the technology itself, but in the people who wield it. Many companies still view the cloud primarily as a utility from which they can draw computing power. This misconception often leads to disappointment when the expected transformation fails to materialise.

The true value of the cloud lies not in its infrastructure, but in its capacity to foster innovation. It provides a playground where programmers can experiment with ideas and rapidly deploy successful ones. If you see the cloud merely as a new way to provision IT infrastructure, you're likely to experience business as usual, with little of the anticipated transformation.

Remember, it's people who drive innovation, not technology. We need to shift the focus from viewing the cloud as merely a technological utility to recognizing it as a platform for human innovation. Only by looking at cloud computing through a human-centric lens will businesses truly harness the power of the cloud.

Lessons can be learned from Netflix. It didn't start as a business that utilised the cloud (the cloud wasn't around then) but it did become one the first businesses to really understand the benefits the cloud could bring to its people. The cloud is incidental to Netflix’s success, it's the talent that is essential.

It's not that Netflix doesn't value its computers in the cloud. It's just that it values the people who program them even more.

BN: What is it that Netflix can teach us?

JD: Netflix provides an excellent case study in cultivating a culture where innovation thrives. Culture plays a pivotal role in successful cloud adoption. The best cloud and application teams function like orchestras. A bunch of headstrong, competitive experts that, ultimately, need to play together. Netflix showed the way to become the best conductor for this talented but potentially discordant orchestra?

Following near-bankruptcy during the dot-com crash, Netflix had to make difficult decisions about its future, and they redefined talent as a combination of excellent work and strong collaboration skills. This led to the creation of their famous culture deck, which outlined the values and behaviors they sought in employees.

By clearly defining and communicating their culture, Netflix ensured that everyone was 'playing to the same score'. This shared vision and values system was crucial in their later successful pivot from a DVD rental service to a streaming giant. They had the right people working under a shared culture of innovation towards a common goal.

To develop the right culture for cloud innovation, start by clearly defining and communicating your company's values and goals. You should also work to foster an environment that encourages calculated risk-taking and learning from failures as well as promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing across teams. And make sure to incentivize your culture by recognizing and rewarding innovation, not just successful outcomes.

But having a well-defined culture is just the first step. To truly harness the power of your talent, you need to embed your definition of talent into every aspect of your company's processes.

Again, Netflix provides a great example. They integrated their cultural values into their hiring practices, ongoing training, and performance evaluations. They even developed 'The Keeper Test', a set of questions managers use to assess whether they would fight to keep an employee if they were to resign.

This level of commitment to talent management demonstrates how seriously Netflix takes the concept of 'talent density' -- the concentration of high-performers in the organization. By continually refining their processes to attract, retain, and develop top talent, they've created an environment ripe for innovation.

To embed talent management into your processes you will need to align your hiring practices with your cultural values and innovation goals to ensure you are onboarding the right people. It can also help to implement ongoing training programs that foster both technical skills and soft skills like creativity and collaboration to get the best out of your team.

You should also develop performance evaluation metrics that reward innovation and collaboration, not just individual achievements, to ensure that your team works cohesively despite potential competition. And create mechanisms for continuous feedback and improvement so that people know what they are doing right and where they can improve.

BN: When cloud projects fail, what is the most common cause?

JD: Poor leadership will doom almost every venture, and success with the cloud only happens in companies that are well managed. Leaders must not only understand the potential of the cloud but also create an environment where innovation can thrive.

This means that the culture and processes you've developed must apply to everyone -- including management. Leaders should be working towards the same goals as their teams, fostering innovation rather than holding it back. If managers don't fit into the culture or are impeding progress, it may be necessary to make changes at the leadership level.

To ensure your leadership is fostering innovation, leaders need to understand the technology they are working with. That means training on cloud technologies and their potential applications and encouraging leaders to participate in innovation initiatives alongside their teams.

Successful cloud adoption is not just about implementing new technology -- it's about creating an environment where people can innovate using that technology. By focusing on human-centric questions, businesses can avoid the pitfalls that have led to the failure of so many cloud projects.

The cloud is a powerful tool that, when wielded by the right people in the right environment, can drive unprecedented innovation and growth. But remember, it is not a magic solution to all your problems. So, before you dive into the technical aspects of cloud adoption, take the time to address human-centric questions. Your success may depend on it.

Image credit: choreograph/depositphotos.com