By Abhijit Banerjee, MD India and SAARC, SolarWinds
In an era where digital transformation has been rapidly evolving the business landscape, a new ally has emerged from the depths of the IT department: observability. Observability, once primarily a tool for IT teams, is emerging as a strategic asset with broader organisational benefits. While its value in managing complex IT systems is well-established, observability can also offer insights into corporate culture. Observability is already making waves in the digital world and is set to become a $2 billion market by 2026. It’s clear that we are onto something big; but here’s where things get more interesting. Its foundational elements – transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement – might be the cultural compass any organisation could ever need. It indeed is a bold claim but one worth exploring. India is reported to be twice as likely to have organisations recognised as observability leaders compared to other regions, driven by a strong focus on innovation and technology adoption. Time and again, research has highlighted that weak or non-existent work environments have the potential to drive talents out the door more than any competitors.
So, how do the guiding principles of observability make lasting changes to corporate culture?
Power of crystal clear vision
Observability is, essentially, all about transparency. By providing a single pane of glass through which you can see your IT environment, observability delivers a 360-degree vision enabling organisations to track and trace any emanating issue. Quite on the same lines, promoting open communication within a company’s culture can give people a better insight into the work nature and priorities of other departments. Organisations can also benefit from being clear and intentional about their values and goals. If a company’s culture is upheld on transparency, the results delivered can be high-value advantages like trust building and improved employee engagement Corporate transparency is a tonic for enhancing employee morale and retention, while at the same time helping to improve stress levels. And since all of this helps to improve productivity, it can have a direct impact on your business’s bottom line.
Team up or fall behind
Observability breaks down silos and makes it easier to collaborate seamlessly across different clouds, databases, and dashboards. In the business domain, leaders can adopt a similar approach to foster effective collaboration across various teams of the organisation. A culture nurtured by collaboration is not just about getting along, but rather about making people understand why each cog in the machine functions the way it does. They’ll also understand how their work impacts colleagues, the end product, and the business as a whole.
The idea of collaboration does not stop when you get everyone on the same page; it is also important to see the bigger picture. For instance, learning to collaborate with machine learning tools is one way to keep employees engaged and productive. Far from replacing your employees, solutions such as AIOps can support employees by delivering insights, automating mundane tasks, and reducing the risk of human error — all while freeing them up for the creative, innovative, and forward-looking parts of their jobs.
Change is the only constant
Being afraid of change has little place in today’s business landscape, where agility and flexibility are increasing the stakes on the table. If your organisation is competitive and has longevity, it stands to reason that the challenges it faces tomorrow may not be the ones it met yesterday. As the company grows, evolves, and shifts, make sure that the culture does as well. In the post-pandemic world, where remote and hybrid work is a trend set to stay, the best way to develop a company culture is to place your people right at the center of the process. But it’s not just a case of giving people a voice. You need to listen to what they have to say. And, where appropriate, you need to act.
Let’s get the facts clear; your people are your strength. They are the magic ingredient that sets any company above the competition. By adopting observability, you are not just building a better culture, you are creating a greater workforce. Picture a workplace where everyone has clarity about everything, where collaboration comes in naturally as you breathe, and where change is welcomed rather than feared. That’s the power of incorporating observability into your organisation and your future self and employees will thank you for it. Remember, in the complicated puzzle of business, culture is not just a piece. It is the whole framework. Play smart and complete the picture.