Many organizations are undergoing changes. The pandemic of the last year has them rethinking their physical spaces, but also the need to hire in their local area only. Add to this the cloud transformation that seems to be a growing trend in many organizations and industries. Then we have the DevOps changes occurring in technology, affecting developers, testers, and operations staff.

As I've learned more about this, listened to stories, and watched presentations, one thing I think starts to stand out for the high performing organizations is their commitment to taking care of people. Not everyone, but most of them giving them education, opportunities, and options.

As we adopt DevOps, or really any substantial change, we may find that our existing staff doesn't fit the new paradigm, or we need more or less of them. Good companies work with people, they help them, transition and adapt. They reassure them that change doesn't mean a loss of a job, even if their current role is going away.

I've seen big companies do this. Microsoft, American Airlines, and Capital One do this, among others. They create pathways and help staff gain skills and find opportunities. Not everyone wants to continue forward, but they do have the choice to do so.

If your company wants to transform, or you want them to, don't forget that part of this journey is bringing people along with you. Creating pathways that help both the technology and the staff get to a new place from where they are today.