The Challenge
Team ROI encountered a unique hurdle. While the team as a whole was on board with the latest technological advancements, one seasoned member, Annie—the team’s architect—felt uneasy. She questioned the need for transitioning from traditional monolithic architectures to microservices, and from data centers to the cloud. Despite being well-versed in fundamentals, Annie wondered:- “Why do we need microservices when monoliths have always worked?”
- “What additional benefits does the cloud offer over our existing data centers?”
- “Virtual machines have been reliable for 20 years—why should we move to containers and orchestrators?”
Annie’s hesitation was not a reflection of incompetence but rather a natural reaction to embracing unfamiliar technology.
Embracing Growth
Recognizing Annie’s significant experience and value to the team, her colleagues decided to invest in her professional growth. Instead of enforcing an immediate, full-scale transition, they tasked Annie with leading a proof-of-concept (POC) to test these new technologies. Her objective was to experiment, learn, and provide concrete data to inform future decisions. Annie rose to the challenge. She immersed herself in studying, experimenting, and launching various POCs. As she explored both fundamental and intermediate aspects of the emerging technologies, her perspective broadened. The results of her experiments validated that although no single technology is a universal solution, modern advancements do offer distinct benefits over older methods.By embracing learning and experimentation, IT teams can overcome resistance and become more agile in adopting new technologies.
Lessons Learned
Through this experience, the team reinforced several important concepts:- Experienced professionals may resist new technologies: This hesitation can occur due to burnout or simply the discomfort of learning something unfamiliar.
- Encouraging continuous learning is critical: Teams that foster curiosity and ongoing education are more likely to successfully evolve.
- Experimentation provides valuable insights: Proofs-of-concept can reveal the potential benefits of new technologies, guiding strategic decisions.

