Are You a Master of Moving Forward?
Of course you can function without moving forward. But why would you want to? Forget memory sticks and video conferencing — when it comes to embracing technology, the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has set a new bar for access to justice and it’s pretty high: As of June 1, 2017, for the first time ever, anywhere, small claims disputes will be heard and resolved entirely online. According to BC Justice Minister Suzanne Anton, via CHEK news, “It is the world’s first online dispute resolution tribunal which is tied in with the public justice system.” (bit.ly/2nb7nG0) Any civil small claim dispute up to $5,000 will be adjudicated by BC’s Civil Resolution Tribunal via the internet. As anyone who has been through the traditional court system knows, the process can be long,
tiring and entirely inconvenient — and it’s been that way for centuries. Vastly increasing access to the courts means not only that the system will become easier and more inclusive, but it also demonstrates how important adopting technology can be. It’s hard to see the downside to adjudicating cases online, especially since people without access to the internet can communicate with the court by telephone or regular post as well, so no one is left out. Going online streamlines applications, ends the need to adhere to restrictive court hours, gives anyone and everyone easy access to the system, and frees up much needed court space for, let’s face it, more important matters, among other advantages.
Don’t remain stagnant when the world is moving forward. So why is it so difficult for some sectors to embrace technology, especially when its benefits are so far reaching? We’ve all heard the arguments: It’s expensive. It’s hard to implement. You have to train people. And the least convincing of all: We’re doing just fine without it. Of course organizations can be “just fine without it,” in the same way a writer can get along wonderfully with an Underwood and a candle. If you’re in business or serving the public in some way, why remain stagnant when the whole world is changing around you? That is why we have robotic surgery and DNA testing. It’s why we can talk to an appliance and have it respond to us, and it is why, in 2017, it’s possible to look pretty darn good in an electric car. The social media platform company Hootsuite recently appointed an honorary “Czar of Bad Systems” to help it identify useless or
complicated office policies that slow business down or waste money. It did this, according to Fast Company, because “good systems make things easier. Bad systems do exactly the opposite, making everyone’s lives harder.” (bit.ly/2nBsuAk) I think this is a lesson a lot of organizations need to learn right now. Companies in major sectors that are traditionally resistant to change should appoint a “Master of Moving Forward,” the one person in the office who can research, identify, test, compare, report on, and most importantly, make decisions about adopting new technologies at work. Without this kind of leadership, many business owners in the financial, legal and health fields, for example, will look back at this time and wonder why they were not more on the ball — because initiating change like adjudicating cases online does not necessarily require new technology: it requires people who are not afraid to adapt to technology.
Ready to Adapt? Sign up for ROSS and master moving forward. Tagged in Law, Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Banking, Canada By Ava Chisling on March 30, 2017. Canonical link Exported from Medium on August 18, 2017.