New Tool, Same Results? Change Your Behavior First
After more than a decade of ongoing collaborations and learnings from and with amazing people, one realization has stood out to me as transformative:
Our instinctive approach to problem-solving often starts with exploring new tools.
This isn’t wrong, tools can and do solve problems. But it’s only half the battle. The other, equally important half is our willingness to adjust our behavior to make those tools effective in our workflows.
This is a humble, short and straightforward collection of reasons about why behavior change is a critical piece of the puzzle—and how it can be the difference between success and frustration.
Tools Alone Aren't Enough
Imagine you've been running for years, but despite all your effort, you haven’t seen the major improvements you’ve been hoping for, and now you’re ready for a change.
You invest in an expensive pair of running shoes designed for optimal performance. Great start, right?
Physically, those shoes will cushion your feet and support your strides, but they won’t run longer distances for you.
To achieve your goal, you’ll need to make real adjustments to your behavior:
Commit to running regularly.
Follow a training schedule.
Tweak your diet to fuel your runs.
Maybe even join a running group to stay motivated and learn better techniques.
Without these changes, even the best shoes in the world won’t take you much further than the nearest park bench.
The Parallels in Tech
The same principle applies when adopting new tools/frameworks in software development and cloud engineering. Let’s look at two examples:
GitHub Actions for CI/CD
GitHub Actions is a powerful automation tool for continuous integration and delivery, enabling developers to automate workflows, run tests, and deploy applications directly from their repositories. While it’s a robust solution, its success hinges on behavioral changes, such as:
Designing clear and modular workflows that align with your team’s goals.
Writing meaningful tests to catch issues early.
Adopting a culture of collaborative reviews, ensuring every action or pipeline update is well-documented and peer-reviewed.
Monitoring and iterating on workflows to refine performance and minimize bottlenecks.
If your team continues to push changes haphazardly or skips reviews, GitHub Actions won’t automatically elevate your processes. The tool requires thoughtful implementation and a commitment to disciplined, collaborative behavior.
Any new or fancy framework for App Development
Adopting ReactJS for front-end development or Django for back-end frameworks can feel like a power-up. These tools streamline development, improve performance, and provide robust ecosystems. However, they require:
A shift in project structuring and modular design thinking.
Following best practices for state management in React (e.g., Redux or Context API).
Implementing Django’s ORM efficiently to prevent query bloat.
These tools provide the scaffolding, but developers must adapt their coding behaviors to avoid technical debt and ensure the application remains scalable.
Behavior as a Tool Multiplier
When you focus on behavioral change, tools become multipliers of your efforts, not just shiny additions to your tech stack.
Here are a few ways to shift your mindset and adapt your habits for better results:
Start with a Purpose
Why are you adopting this tool? Define the problem clearly and set measurable goals. For instance, if you're using Docker to containerize an app, your goal might be to improve deployment consistency across environments.Invest Time in Learning
Commit to mastering the tools you adopt. Dedicate time for training, practice, or pairing with experienced team members.Evolve Your Workflow
Evaluate how this tool fits into your existing processes. For example, transitioning to CI/CD pipelines with GitOps might mean automating steps that were previously manual, ensuring consistency across deployments.Embrace Accountability
Tools like Jira thrive when paired with consistent, transparent collaboration. Regular updates, clear task ownership, and frequent team discussions transform it from a simple task board into a powerful tool for alignment and productivity.
Final Thoughts
Adopting a new tool is exciting, but tools aren’t magic.
They’re enablers.
The real magic lies in how we change ourselves to unlock their potential.
When we approach new tools with a commitment to learn, adapt, and grow, we multiply their value.
Whether it’s running shoes, Github Actions or a fancy/trendy framework—let the tool support you, not define you. With the right behavior changes, success becomes inevitable.
As always: keep collaborating, keep learning, and keep building something you're proud of.
Stay safe,
Juan.