IT leaders are grappling with the need to run and modernize, collaborate with business partners, and build the people, processes and technologies within IT that embrace change at a record pace.

And if they can do that, they can leave an enduring legacy that ensures flexibility, resiliency and innovation, according to Jaynene Hapanowicz (pictured, right), chief technology officer of Dell Digital.

“You’re trying to stabilize an environment, take care of anomalies and security incidents or you don’t get a seat at the table,” Hapanowicz said. “But you have to prioritize building the business relationships, putting your customer at the center of what you do, and building great teams to develop capabilities that you need for the future.”

Hapanowicz and Betsy Davis (pictured, left), senior vice president of seller, marketing and data experiences at Dell Digital, spoke with industry analysts Lisa Martin and Dave Vellante at the Dell Technologies World event, an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed trust and the customer-focused product model. (* Disclosure below.)

Trust and customer-focused product model spur innovation

The Dell product model is based on collaboration with the business, agreeing on human-centered outcomes, starting small and moving through the process to deliver extraordinary things, according to Davis. The same principles apply to collaboration between IT and enterprise; it all comes down to trust.

“We empower them to do their jobs. We let them work where they need to work, and we have great leadership at every level to really help people propel the company forward,” Hapanowicz said.

Comparing the old-school project environment of IT with the product mindset that Dell uses, each new goal is a sprint, not a marathon, allowing for agility to transition from outcomes that aren’t successful to those that fit the bill, according to Davis.

“If we deliver [the product] and then find out that’s actually not what we were looking for, then you just iterate, and you haven’t wasted two and a half years,” she said. “And it’s also a lot more fun to lead teams in that environment, because you’re getting wins and they’re getting that constant reinforcement.”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the Dell Technologies World event:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Dell Technologies World. Neither Dell Technologies Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE