There are many accomplished technology people who wish they had Thabo Ndlela's CV. He has worked in large, venerable institutions, orchestrating the kind of projects that give CIOs sleepless nights. So it's ironic that when he grew up in Swaziland and earned his tertiary education in Cape Town, Ndlela never considered going into IT.
His first real interaction with technology came at Nampak. As a junior engineer, he started collecting maintenance data for repairs. That initiative turned him into the go-to guy for any equipment problems, but also brought the realisation that he enjoys information management systems. It would forge a path for Ndlela through the halls of Absa, the SABC, Sun International and, currently, Tiger Brands. Yet he makes no bones of it: technology is a people business. Among his most treasured skills are the arts of negotiation and politics.
The SABC introduced Ndlela to the importance of politics in an organisation; he doubts any other institution could have taught him more about the balancing act between powerful egos and emotional expectations. Later, during his consultant years, a chance conversation on a flight led him to a role in helping Barclays consolidate its IT systems, particularly through its acquisition of Absa.
This era forged Ndlela's knack for negotiation or, as he puts it, the art of getting someone to say yes when they want to say no. The task evolved to wholesale IT transformation across Barclays' pool of companies, a journey that involved dealing with even more ego and human quirks. From negotiations with global vendors to collaborating with the bosses of the various acquisitions, Ndlela honed his knack for change management through dealing with people from all walks and cultures.
Those skills came into play again when he left the banking world to enter Sun International and its gaming fraternity. Once again, convincing different personalities that change is good when done right became his calling card. Ndlela stands as a reminder that technology is a people business, but working with people is not something you are taught. It's an experience you must embrace and grow with.
This article was first published in ITWeb Brainstorm magazine.
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