Building a dual threat team
We often see business operations teams struggle with managing technology. They know they need to use technology effectively but end up with games of telephone between specialized technical resources or expensive consultants. There’s nothing more frustrating than missed expectations on big projects after going back-and-forth on documenting requirements ad nauseum or submitting tickets for simple changes.
At OVG we leverage a dual threat mindset to minimize these inefficiencies. This means that every member of our team, from intern to partner, is expected to build and maintain both functional and technical skills and knowledge, as opposed to having separation between functional and technical resources.
Dual threat capabilities allow for smaller project teams, faster time-to-value, and better alignment between business needs and technology. We are seeing more and more clients adopt this approach for themselves as well.
Following this path is not a simple fix, however. Here are a few learnings from our own journey:
Overhaul your hiring strategy: everything starts with getting the right team in place, which requires updating job descriptions, screening criteria, interview approach, and compensation to reflect dual threat expectations vs. more traditional roles. For example, focusing not only on established technical skills but the willingness and curiosity to learn new areas or develop new skills is critical, especially considering how nascent AI capabilities are. Consider carefully what can be reskilled/upskilled vs. hired vs. outsourced.
Invest, invest, invest: investments come in the form of time, resources, and money. Time investments require carving out time from day-to-day activities to devote towards learning and experimentation – this is often the biggest constraint for lean teams. Resource investments come not only in the form of structured courses but also access to experts, technology, and opportunities to safely practice new skills. Technical resources need ample opportunity to get in front of stakeholders, absorb business context, and build soft skills.
Lastly, monetary investment includes advancement opportunities and competitive compensation. Since dual threat team members will increase not only their productivity but also their market value, especially when leading others.
Set clear and consistent expectations: a dual threat mindset needs to be established across the entire team, or team members will generally revert back into their natural comfort zones, resulting in the same functional/technical divides and inefficiencies with a traditional approach.
Making an exception for even one senior team member to be exempt from learning technology (the exec who can’t open a PDF meme) or one technical team member to be exempt from interacting with the business can be a slippery slope that compromises the mindset for the team. A clear technology strategy also needs in place, or a tech-enabled team can go in many different directions.
A dual threat approach can pay both short-term and long-term dividends for teams of all shapes and sizes. While it’s of course not always the optimal approach, if you are foundation-building or trying to drive significant change in your organization, it can be a major value driver.
