Technology And People

[Tl;Dr: What if software developers – and other related disciplines – were competent in psychology and human behaviour rather than coding and testing? What would we gain? What would we lose? ]

We live in an era of rapid technological advancement and innovation. Yet so many of our most popular technologies still fall short when it comes to understanding human behavior, motivations, and feelings. What would a software industry more attuned with psychology and social sciences look like? After all, Deming in his System of Profound Knowledge stressed the importance of psychology. Some key reasons why Deming advocated for psychological competence include:

• Motivating employees requires satisfying needs beyond just financial compensation
• Interpersonal friction can cause unproductive teams or turnover
• Lack of psychological safety limits experimentation and learning
• Poor communication causes confusion and mistakes
• Not understanding cognitive biases can lead to poor decisions

Deeper Empathy and Connection

Technology designed with empathy could foster online communities that feel welcoming, supportive, and caring. More intuitive interfaces minimising frustration and confusion would promote trust and understanding between platforms and users. Overall, technology would not only be more usable, but make people feel heard, respected, and cared for.

Products That Help Us Thrive

Rather than empty gaming loops or outrage-inducing algorithms, technology focused on well-being could enhance daily life and growth. From fitness trackers prompting healthier habits to creativity tools designed for flow states to social networks that inspire real-world action, innovation could shift from addiction to empowerment and support.

Customised Experiences

Understanding differences in personalities, demographics, and life experiences would allow for greater personalisation in how tech interacts with and supports each of us. Products and services attuned to the diversity of human behavior deliver nuanced experiences and guidance tuned for each user and context. The result is technology that contributes to our humanity, rather than robbing us of it.

Developers Who Operate Around Compassion

If engineers banded together around compassion and service to others instead of unending growth and career-oriented self-interest, we might see improvements in areas like mental health support, ethical supply chain management, and sustainability. Rather than top-down directives, grassroots working groups of developers aiming to minimise harm and reduce pain points could spread positive change.

While mastery of coding and data remains useful, competence in psychology and the human aspects of life may be key for profound betterment of our lives, and wider society too. A collaborative pivot toward emotional intelligence across the industry will prove immensely worthwhile.