269: Discovering New Perspectives And Why Facilitation Is The Key To The Future with Douglas Ferguson

IT Career Energizer

Phil’s guest on today’s show is Douglas Ferguson, an entrepreneur and technologist with over 20 years of experience. He is a master facilitator and the author of three innovation books: Beyond the Prototype, How to Remix Anything, and Start Within.

He is also the founder and president of Voltage Control, a facilitation agency helping teams to work better together.

Douglas discusses the importance of finding new perspectives by looking outside of our own industry, and how this can lead to innovative thinking. He also talks about the importance of facilitation, and how it will shape the future of an ever-more automated working landscape.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

TOP CAREER TIP

We must look outside of our own industries. By opening ourselves to new ways of working, of new experiences, we allow ourselves to find new perspectives and new ways of thinking.

WORST CAREER MOMENT

Whenever emotions get the best of Douglas, it can get the better of him. Being dressed down in public can give rise to negative emotional impact. By tempering our response, we can turn these situations into empowering ones.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Building a sophisticated metric system that had to scale rapidly to keep up with the growth of its client base. Douglas recognized the need to balance the technical concerns and the elegance of the system itself in order to accomplish something entirely new.

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

The effects of COVID-19 upon the world have caused the world itself to take far more notice of technological advancements, and how technology itself is a benefit to humanity. Innovations are coming swiftly every day, and are changing the landscape of how we interact.

THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Being brought up on a farm , Douglas was instilled with a sense of enhancement through ingenuity. When he was introduced to computers, he applied this sensibility, and a career was born.

What’s the best career advice you received? – Networking is key to adaptability, and understanding complexity. The modern world is built upon communication and we must embrace it in order to thrive.

What’s the worst career advice you received? – To severely punish those who make mistakes. By allowing emotions to overtake a situation, we can often miss out on chances to develop those in our teams, and strengthen our organisations.

What would you do if you started your career now? – Douglas would embrace AI machine learning a lot sooner. It is a transformational technology that will lead to lasting change.

What are your current career objectives? – After spending much time in pivoting his organization, Douglas now has the opportunity to look for areas that require creative thinking and innovation, while delivering the levels of excellence that his team is known for.

What’s your number one non-technical skill? – The ability to synthesise quickly and on the fly, as well as the speed with which information is processed.

How do you keep your own career energized? – Staying abreast of new developments and innovations keeps us fresh and keen to take on the challenges of tomorrow.

What do you do away from technology? – Boxing and exercise are a wonderful way to expend physical energy, while musical pursuits and meditation keep the mental faculties fresh and creative.

FINAL CAREER TIP

Facilitation is the skill that will allow us to step into the future of the workplace. As AI and software becomes better able to take over jobs, we will need to rely on the things that make us more human.

BEST MOMENTS

(2:56) – Douglas- “It’s important when you have groups of people, that we understand how to do the best work we can, so that we get the best outcomes”

(14:52) – Douglas - “If there’s anything that you can expect not to change, that is the fact that things will change!”

(19:22) – Douglas – “We really need to make sure that we’re building strong relationships so that we can thrive”

(29:49) – Douglas - “It’s all about finding inspiration in little pockets and exploring those things”

(31:55) – Douglas – “If there’s one skill that’s going to be critical in the future of work, it’s facilitation”

ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at [e-mail] and via the podcast’s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

ABOUT THE GUEST – DOUGLAS FERGUSON

Douglas Ferguson is an entrepreneur and technologist with over 20 years of experience. He is a master facilitator and the author of three innovation books: Beyond the Prototype, How to Remix Anything, and Start Within.

He is also the founder and president of Voltage Control, a facilitation agency helping teams to work better together.

CONTACT THE GUEST – DOUGLAS FERGUSON

Douglas Ferguson can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com//douglas_voltage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglasferguson

Website: https://voltagecontrol.com/