The Temptation of Technology
Technology is always offered as the answer. It begins as an option, then quietly becomes an obligation. But most problems at work aren’t technical — they’re human.
meeting notes
Hey,
I hope you’re safe and well. I’ve been quiet these past couple of weeks. Workshops, deep thinking, lots of writing, some client work and a little (actually, a lot) of rebuilding behind the scenes.
The headline: I’ve finally drawn a clear line between Cultivated and Creative Soul Projects.
They will always speak to each other and be blended, because they are both expressions of myself, but they now have their own work to do and clear path forward for 2026.
Cultivated is where I build systems that help leaders turn ideas into value. This is my coaching and training business.
Creative Soul Projects is where I show those systems in motion, in action — the experiments, the creativity, the human side of the work.
Two vehicles. One philosophy. Much clearer.
Making this split took time. And honesty. It was painful at times – plenty of uncomfortable questions about who I’m becoming and the work I want to do.
But clarity creates alignment. And alignment creates speed. Now, it all feels lighter, and clearer.
I hope you stay with me on the journey.
For those new to the Meeting Notes newsletter, welcome, I’m Rob, Chief Clarity Officer at Cultivated. This newsletter is about cultivating a bright future of work.
Cover image from Public Domain Image Archive.
A quick update
I’ve released a new Workbook-Only version of the Idea → Value System.
Same models, same 26 principles, same reflections — just without the video lessons.
- Full course (videos + workbook): £49.99
- Workbook only: £19.99
https://www.cultivatedmanagement.com/idea-to-value-system/
Technology as an option, then an obligation
In every workshop, gig, speaking engagement or coaching session, someone asks the same question:
“What technology would you recommend to solve our problems?”
AI. Tools. Platforms. Dashboards. There’s always a new option. A new silver bullet.
Tech always starts as an option, then, if we’re not careful, this same tech becomes an obligation – and often, a very expensive obligation for the business.
But long-term readers will know my view:
99% of business problems are communication problems.
And very few technologies improve how people communicate, they often merely amplify the person's underlying ability to communicate – or make everyone sound the same.
Tech feels comforting. Safe. It promises efficiency. Integration. Speed. Cost reduction. Simplicity.
But inside organisations, it often becomes a burden and a cause of massive costs: more tools, more dashboards, more places for work to hide, more integration, more training, more updates, more migration, more problems to solve.
The reality is though, at work, we’re trying to take good ideas and turn them into value. Value that helps to keep the business alive – so we can all keep doing it again, over and over.
In between every idea and the value it creates, there are people. I always say that people are the engine of success in a business.
Their clarity, their habits, their conversations, their interactions, their time, their energy, their attention, their ability to work together, their behaviours — these are what moves ideas forward to something valuable.
Most problems arise there, not in the software, not in the processes, not in the tech.
Which is why trying to fix human problems with technology is like trying to improve a conversation by buying a megaphone.
It looks like action. It feels like progress.
It’s been promised to solve problems. But the root of the problem remains.
A Human-Centred Approach
John Seddon said it best:
- Study the problem.
- Fix the problem.
- Then bring in IT/Tech.
Technology should support effective work, not compensate for ineffective work.
There’s no point making something ineffective more efficient — yet this happens every day.
So when someone asks me which tools to adopt, I ask a different question back:
“Are you already good at turning an idea into value?”
If the answer is yes, technology can help you go faster, for sure. If the answer is no, start with clarity, then alignment, and behaviour, and flow. Then add the tools.
Start with people.
Create value together (overcoming problems).
Then use technology to go faster.
It’s the only order that seems to make sense.
(Note: Often Tech is needed as it’s part of the thing we are building, such as choosing a cloud hosting provider, or building a CI system, but even then - being effective first is a key aspect of selection).
🚀 Creative Soul Projects
This week's Creative Soul Project video: Using the idea to value system to create podcasts
Support Cultivated Management
This newsletter is a labour of love and will always be free, but it's not free to create - if you’d like to support my work:
🚀 Explore books and courses
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Until next week.
Take care of yourself and others.
Rob..