VIDEO | National Science Foundation CIO: It's All About Culture, Not Technology

(US and Canada) Dorothy Aronson, CIO, National Science Foundation, speaks with Denise Verdicchio, SVP, President Public Sector Sales, SHI International Corp., about her background, the importance of cultural readiness, and driving technology adoption.

Aronson studied business and auditing but was exposed to IT by chance because of being dyslexic. As CIO, she was exposed to the world of data and emerging data requirements. She eventually ended up growing in the space and leading people and projects.

Aronson explains that the purpose of creating technology solutions is to improve the quality of people's personal and work lives and make it easier for them to accomplish the organization's mission. It is not something that can be a required job responsibility. She maintains that cultural readiness is a critical factor in digital transformation.

She further elaborates that it is all about culture, not technology. It is the purpose that should drive the mission. She says the job is not to make change happen but to give people opportunities for change.

In conclusion, she says that one of the best ways for people to learn is from each other, from the people already doing things and speaking their language. They should understand business practices and recommend trying something new. Aronson says she is trying to simulate and leverage the natural way people work and learn to accelerate adoption.