Darryn Webster started his working life as a bank teller. The bank swiftly moved him to the IT Department. It was the best thing that could have happened for his career.
That was in the late 80s, corporate technology was in its infancy and only an emerging profession. Fast forward, and thanks to his early learnings, Darryn has forged a very successful career path creating simple solutions for many and varied business issues.
Darryn quickly realised that the world of technology is about solving complex problems. When he started with the bank, it was working on internet banking rollouts. The more that organisations spent on technology, the more they created complex problems, often more related to business operations than technology.
These learnings enabled him to move outside the tech world and he began consulting on multiple issues faced by businesses, large and small. Focusing on IT and Project Management, Darryn took on “any job that no other consultant wanted to do.”
Working to a philosophy that there is always an answer to a problem – “you just have to think hard enough about it” – he got to look at issues from different angles.
In 2000 Darryn did an MBA at UNSW and learned more about looking at problems from different angles. It was a great way to check his own internal biases. He followed with two years at the AGSM Business School at UNSW teaching innovation to people in leadership.
Darryn discovered the key to solving most business issues is looking deeper than what is presented and not taking things at face value – “there is always something else going on”.
The most important thing for organisations to learn is that doing nothing is not an option. Leaders need to take action, get more data and learn in order for something to change. Sometimes the solution is actually the need to shift focus from seemingly complex business or technology problems to instead solving complex people problems.
It was these observations and many years spent ‘finding simple solutions for complex problems’ that led to Darryn developing the Kaleidescope model for Twiga Group, which looks at the intersection of purpose, people, technology, business models and business processes.
One of Darryn’s biggest strengths is helping clients expand their understanding of what’s going on at a deeper level in their business so they can see how you are trying to help them.
Organisations are “all about the parts and intersection of the parts” and Darryn’s work shows that businesses can’t create something new just by dealing with one part – to be successful they need to put it all under the Kaleidescope.
“You need to help clients understand the gap between what they have and what your expertise tells you needs to happen”.
The Kaleidescope model puts a simple lens over an organisation that a client can easily follow to create a picture and narrative between where they are now and where they would like to be. Businesses get to see more than what’s obvious.
Kaleidescope enables Darryn to push boundaries around how to present products to market, especially marketing in a digital world of complex problems.
Today, when it comes to work, he is happiest providing simple solutions for complex problems in terms of technology, business and people.
Looking back, Darryn is thankful he was ‘so bad’ at customer service. “The bank did me a huge favour!”.
Contact Darryn Webster today to see how your business can benefit from the Kaleidescope.
