Navigating Tech Chaos

Written By Julie Hendry

Staring down the barrel of yet another technological overhaul, you know the drill by now - you were promised seamless integration and metrics that skyrocket overnight? Yet hundreds of billions are projected to be invested in AI globally in 2025, with 85-95% of projects failing to deliver expected value or being abandoned. Just like the trillions flushed away on digital and Agile initiatives before them.

I started as an engineer two decades ago, grinding through code and systems, then stumbled into management - and I was bloody terrible at it. As I emerged from Y2K and the dawn of the worldwide web and Agile, to designin and implementing global insruance platforms I realised the tech wasn't the issue with most failures; people were. As a techie cum manager I simply didnt have the people skills to examine my furstrations. So assuming I was not cut out to “manage” I pivoted to coaching, dove deep into what makes folks tick, and then circled back to leadership having mentored, coached and trained thousands of diverse individuals, nowwith fresh insight and new capablities. As a senior leader it became even more crucial to understand people better so I took a years break from my career to qualify as a psychologist in 2020.

Why? Because people are always sidelined during tech transformation, yet people are the change - and the blockers, the users, the builders, the designers, the operators, the purpose.

People are key to successful results!

Tech hypes can often promise the world, but human desire, adoption, fears and ego get in the way every time. And in chaos it's not the tools that pull you through; it's the resilience and adaptability of people.

That's my “thing”: Psych-tech fusion, inspired a long time ago by Gerry Weinberg, then honed in the fire of real-world messes, turning underperformers into leaders with practical, research-driven strategies that understand how humans operate, co-operate, thrive and drive results sustainably and humanely.

Psychology is an engine for transformations. Research shows most failures boil down to resistance, where people cling to the familiar because the "why" just doesn’t resonate. My approach flips that by blending behavioural insights with almost 3 decades of experience in technology transformations. I've navigated teams and people through upheavals, ensuring changes stick because I address human realities first.

Why Psych-Tech Blend Wins Where Tech Alone Fails

Early on, a WWW bank launch went sideways—a hardcoded glitch turned 5% yields into 500%, bleeding millions in hours because experts holed up in silos (we were literal basement dwellers) without probing each other's work. My takeway at the time? Bridge those divides by creating spaces for meaningful cross-checks, like show-and-tells where diverse stakeholders can see progress openly, foster genuine relationships and meaningful dialogue around the core purpose: Where are we, what scares us, and how do we tackle them? It's simple yet powerful: Surfacing fears in a supportive way, so speaking up about issues draws help, not heat. For those who dread speaking up, I layer in tools like round-robins or paired prep to build lifelong skills gradually, appealing to personal needs while leveraging those varied personalities, like quiet influencers or the ‘troublemaker” who always spots elephants in the room. Align by individual desires, tying work to growth opportunities, even assisting beyond the day job, and you can unlock heroes who ramp up momentum for everyone.

Cross-cultural clashes amplified this in Asia where forthright feedback often landed like judgement, tanking pilots despite solid tech. I learned quickly to adapt comms styles, fostering trust in mixed teams. The key? Building a shared culture from scratch - one everyone owns, not imposed from afar. In remote setups blending Americans, Brit, Indian and Chinese teams, no single norm dominates; it must be chaperoned organically with purpose, appreciating language, customs, and styles to create a unified way of operating. Research backs it too - strategies that address emotional impacts boost resilience, cutting burnout in high-stakes shifts.

In large-scale gigs, like UK government where sheer numbers magnified resisters (job-clingers, contrarians, the complacent) I herded people into sessions that highlighted personal upsides, thereby creating unofficial champions to scale influence. Adding in nudges like celebrating micro-victories - think casual breakfasts post-deployments - and you lightly “condition” teams for sustained push. Of course it only works in tandem with clear direction too. Always positioning oneself as an advocate, ensuring unintended fuck-ups become learning, not blame.

Crisis tested this hardest: Guiding hundreds through war outbreaks or lockdowns with expats far from home. Tech plans meant little without the desire to endure—prioritising human safety forged unbreakable trust, in turn keeping ops humming and secure. For today's decision makers wrestling AI flops or talent churn, my blend of technological expertise and psycholgical insight turns volatility into velocity.

Making It Stick: My Take for You

Start with audits to map blockers - group them, align incentives, and deploy champions for organic spread.

Use conditioning - subtle positives over pomp - to build habits. In talent crunches, psych screening spots resilient fits. It's just a theory either; it's a battle-tested path to transformations that last.

Bottom line? Tech chaos is human chaos.

With my psych-tech edge, forged in complex crises, transformations become real experiences for real people, not reports or soundbites.

It's messy, but worth it - trust me, I've lived it.

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Julie Hendry