Who gets to call themselves a “tech person”?

If you are a social impact leader, you are a “tech person” to some extent. 

You cannot lead a team or engage the public without technology. Nor can you influence government decision-making, raise money, or manage an organization’s resources.

Like it or not, you need technology to create change in this era.

Own the label “techie”

“But I’m not a techie person!” you might be saying right now.

So what? No one is born good at anything. Babies can’t even burp themselves, for heaven’s sake. Everyone learns. Everyone builds skill.

No knowledge is off-limits, and your cause is too important to listen to people who tell you otherwise. You can learn anything you need to learn, use any tool you want to use.

You’ve already shown a remarkable ability to figure stuff out. There was a time when you didn’t know how to talk, let alone give a speech or a presentation. And a time when you didn’t know how to write, let alone write a grant proposal or a policy paper. If you’re reading this newsletter on a computer or smartphone, you’re already on your way to “techie” status. 

Don’t lose sight of what you need to do

“I’m not tech-savvy” is what psychologists and coaches call a limiting belief — an idea you carry around about yourself that undermines your own abilities.

It’s a myth that gets in the way of your effort to strengthen communities and create social impact. It’s just one of several myths about technology that might be holding you back. 

Technology myths that may be holding you back

Myth #1: “Technology” is one thing

Technology is not one, knowable thing. Technology is a concept that covers a wide range of human-made objects, machines, tools, software, and systems. Learning to use a computer teaches you nothing about using a drill. 

It’s fine to not be “tech-savvy”, because “tech” isn’t a general skill. You only need to understand some specific tools for your trade. And that, my friend, is doable. 

Myth #2: A “tech person” is a specific kind of person

Let’s be honest: the moment someone says “techie” or “tech-savvy”, you’re probably picturing a stereotype. You compare yourself to the stereotype, and if you don’t match, you assume you’re not the right “type”. 

Nonsense. Much like social change itself, technology is everyone’s business.  

Myth #3: Technology is someone else’s job

Every aspect of organizational life is touched, in some way, by technology. Larger organizations might have an IT department or specialized staff, but they aren’t the only ones who use technology. Word processors, email, contact databases, website and project management tools, graphic design software, social media tools, bookkeeping systems, and phones are just some of the critical tools you are using to get your work done.

Someone has to pick those tools, pay for those tools, and ensure they support the organization’s mission. That’s where leaders and managers come in. Their job is to choose the tech that’s right for their team; then it’s everyone’s job to try and use it well. 

Myth #4: You have to be an expert

You don’t need to be an expert in all things tech to see yourself as competent. For some reason, the bar for technology confidence is way higher than most other things you do. You can write a grant proposal without being an expert in auctions, peer-to-peer campaigns, or planned giving. You can manage a budget without being an accountant, and comment on government policy without having sat in the legislature. 

Why not treat technology the same way? All you really need to know is the technology that supports your organization’s work and how people should use it. This knowledge builds over time and grows with the organization; no one knows it on day one. 

Leadership usually means touching a wide range of topics lightly, not specializing heavily in one field forever. It’s the way you blend skills and knowledge that creates magic. Give yourself the same permission to dabble in technology that you give yourself in other aspects of your work. 

Myth #5: Nonprofits should use cheap technology

As my mother would say: Anything worth doing is worth doing well. If your work matters, then your tools do, too.

Cheap tools waste time and make already difficult work feel even harder. Equipping people with reliable tools they can use to create lasting impact is always the smartest way to invest limited resources. 

Do your paperwork

AIDS activist Gil Gerald said: “I was an accidental leader. I saw myself as somebody who could do the stuff that the charismatic leaders didn’t do … We need a constitution. We need by-laws, right? I was willing to do the paperwork.”

Today, “the paperwork” includes digital technology. 

There is no such thing as a “tech person” in this day and age. There are just people willing to learn what they need to learn, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. 

Positive change comes from people who are willing to do the paperwork. That’s you. 

Deeper Dive

• If you’d like to know more about digital growth capacity in the nonprofit sector, here are some resources from Imagine Canada. 
• If you’d like a glimpse into the way some folks systematically – and ruthlessly – exploit digital networks to achieve political goals, this article from Politico will fire you up.