staffing beyond the accidental techie

Staffing Beyond The Accidental TechiePresented by Lisa Colton, Founder & President Darim OnlineLisa@darimonline.org434.977.1170

Agenda

• What is an accidental techie?• What function do they serve?• When do you outgrow it?• How staffing models are shifting.• Where is your need, and how to get there.

The Accidental

Techie

The Accidental Techie

“In the field of nonprofit technology, an accidental techie is an individual who has gravitated toward responsibility for an organization's information technology infrastructure, even though his or her professional training or job description did not include tasks of this kind.”

-Webster’s Online Dictionary

How Accidental Techies Differ

Learning curve is too steep– You love the challenge and want to learn!

Perceived risk is greater than potential reward– You’re always trying new things, reflecting, evolving!

Don’t see how “rules of the game” are changing– Evidence of “new rules” are in front of you daily!

Don’t extrapolate beyond the technology itself– You know technology isn’t the magic bullet!

The Organizationa

l Need

Ultimate Goal

Help your organization evolve for success in the digital age -- for its own

sake and for the sake of the people you reach and impact!

Used to be change was riskier than the status quo

Today, not changing may be more risky.

Assisting Co-Workers and Volunteers

Working as a Coordinated Team

To Get Somewhere

StaffingConsideration

s

WHAT SKILLS AND CAPACITY DO YOU NEED

TO START SHIFTING HOW YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

Adjusting or Developing Job Descriptions

Program Directors

Social Media Managers

Community Managers

Network Weavers

WHAT SORT OF TRAINING OR SUPPORT DO YOU NEED TO

SHIFT THESE ROLES?

Go Beyond The Technology Alone:John Fitch’s Steam Engine

Go Beyond The Technology Alone:John Fitch’s Steam Engine