Lessons From the Middle: What I’ve Learned About Technology Along the Way
By Teri Yates, Founder & CEO Accountable Physician Advisors
When I started out in leadership, I didn’t even have email. That’s hard to imagine now. I got my first cell phone when I stepped into management; not long after, I found myself resisting the company’s push to adopt BlackBerrys. I just had a feeling that once I was reachable at all hours, work would never stop following me home. And I was right, sort of.
What I didn’t see at the time was everything I’d gain. With that phone came access to knowledge, ideas, and people I wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. It changed how I worked, and it made me realize that resisting technology doesn’t stop change from happening. It just slows down your ability to grow.
That’s been a defining theme for me as a leader: how can we use technology to help people do their best work? Not to replace them. Not to micromanage them. But to support them, to reduce mistakes, improve communication, and make the work more meaningful.
Some of us feel more at home with technology than others. That’s okay.
That’s why our current investments in Open Connect and other tools aren’t just about being modern. They’re about building smarter workflows that let us focus on what humans do best. We’re trying to automate the repetitive, draining parts of the job so our team has more time for critical thinking and connection, the things no software can replicate.
I know not everyone embraces change easily. We’re a multigenerational workforce, and some of us feel more at home with technology than others. That’s okay. I’m a Gen Xer, squarely in the middle. I’ve had to learn from people younger than me—my sons, my team members—and I’ve also drawn inspiration from peers and clients who remind me that it’s never too late to lean in. I am inspired by one of our clients’ 80-year-old father who uses ChatGPT every day. He reminds me technology adoption isn’t about age; it’s about mindset.
I am inspired by one of our clients’ 80-year-old father who uses ChatGPT every day. He reminds me technology adoption isn’t about age; it’s about mindset.
That’s the culture I want to promote here: one where it’s safe to ask questions, where no one is made to feel behind, and where curiosity is rewarded. We are creating a new training center in our expanded Westerville office so employees can get hands-on with new systems before using them in live environments. Lesa Sommers will be leading that effort.
We’re not investing in technology to move faster just for the sake of it. We’re doing it to build a workplace where people can do their jobs more confidently and with more purpose. That’s how we compete. That’s how we keep work here, in the hands of people who care. That’s how we stay Accountable.
Thank you for everything you’re doing to make that possible.
